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OCT    8    1914 


BULLETIN 


OF     KENTUCKY    DEPARTMENT    OF    EDUCATION 

New  Series   I 


OCTOBER,  1909 


Number  8 


THE  SYSTEM  IN 
GERMAN  SCHOOLS 


OF  THE 

^   UNIVERSITY    } 


PUBLISHED   BY 

KENTUCKY    DEPARTMENT    OF    EDUCATION 
FRANKFORT 


BULLETIN   NO,  8 

NEW  SERIES    I 


KENTUCKY 
Department  of  Education 


I  herewith  submit  a  report  upon  the  German 
Schools  prepared  by  E.  George  Payne,  Ph.  D.,  the 
head  of  the  Department  of  Training  in  the  Eastern 
Kentucky  State  Normal  School  at  Richmond.  The 
purpose  of  this  bulletin  will  be  properly  indicated  in 
the  preface.  The  report  is  a  valuable  document,  and 
should  be  read  and  studied  by  all  Kentucky  students 
of  the  best  thought.  Dr.  Payne  has  done  his  work 
thoroughly,  and  we  are  indebted  to  him  for  his 
timely  and  helpful  report. 


Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 


PREFACE. 

A  little  more  than  two  years  ago  I  received  the  following 
appointment  from  the  Governor  of  Kentucky : 

7o  All   \Vhom  These  Presents  Shall  Come,    Greeting: 

'"Know  ye,  that  E.  George  Payne  having  been  duly  ap- 
pointecl  Commissioner  for  the  State  of  Kentucky  to  investi- 
gate and  report  upon  the  German  School  System  to  /the  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  I  hereby  invest  him 
with  full  power  and  authority  to  execute  and  discharge  the 
duties  of  said  office  according  to  law.  And  to  have  and  to 
hold  the  same  with  all  the  emoluments  thereunto  legally  ap- 
pertaining for  and  during  the  term  prescribed  by  law."  In 
accordance  with  instructions  from  the  State  Superintendent 
and  this  appointment,  I  took  up  the  work  and  devoted  two 
years  to  a  careful  study  of  the  German  schools  while  I  was 
a  student  at  the  universities  of  Bonn  and  Berlin.  Upon  the 
entrance  into  office  of  the  present  State  Superintendent  I 
had  further  ^correspondence  with  him.  It  was  his  wish  that 
I  follow  out  the  plan  I  had  begun.  With  these  instructions 
I  continued  .my  work  and  hereby  offer  the  following  report: 
I  wish  here  to  extend  my  sincerest  thanks  to  the  many 
German  Educators  'who  so  courteously  extended  every  assis- 
tance in  making  my  study  a  success,  and  in  giving  me  free 
access  to  the  schools  so  that  I  might  have  an  adequate  idea 
of  the  work.  I  wish  to  thank  especially  Herrn  Rektor  Dicke 
of  the  Wilhelmschule  in  Bonn  and  Herrn  Rektor  Lessennich 
of  the  Hilfschule  in  Bonn  for  the  special  help  given  me. 

E.  George  Payne. 
Richmond,  October  30,  1909. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  following  discussion  of  certain  phases  of  the  German 
School  System  and  Ithe  lessons  that  may  foe  drawn  from  it  for 
the  Kentucky  schools  is  in  no  sense  to  be  taken  as  scien- 
tific or  'exhaustive.  I  should  not  like  to  have  my  ability  to 
write  a  scientific  work  judged  from  this  effort.  The  discus- 
sion is  given  in  order  to  draw  some  practical  conclusions  as 
to  -the  needs  and  possibilities  of  the  Kentucky  Schools.  While 
I  must  insist  from  the  first  that  the  German  System  could 
in  no  sense  be  transferred  from  the  other  side  and  foe  used 
here  to  advantage  because  social,  economic,  and-  political 
conditions  are  so  radically  different  in  the  two  countries,  yet 
I  do  not  pretend  to  disguise  the  fact  or  my  conviction  that 
our  German  /cousins  are  very  much  nearer  the  solution  of 
a  proper  educational  system  than  we  are  on  this  side.  I 
must  likewise  admit  that  after  a  two  years'  intimate  and  care- 
ful study  of  the  German  schools,  their  methods  of  work  and 
thoroughness  have  materially  influenced  my  conceptions  of 
Education  and  the  proper  ways  of  educating  the  people. 
Whether  I  have  given  expression  to  this  change  in  these 
pages  is  a  question  that  the  reader  may  answer  for  himself. 

I  have  chosen  to  present  only  certain  phases  of  the  Ger- 
man schools  because  a  discussion  of  this  kind  is  of  most 
value  for  my  purpose.  It  seems  to  me  that  we  must  make 
some  radical  changes  in  our  elementary,  secondary,  and 
special  education.  I  have  also  written  at  length'  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  teacher,  because  I  believe  that  there  must  also 
be  as  radical  a  change  in  the  position  which  the  teacher  is  to 
hold  if  we  attain  what  we  should  educationally.  We  must 
have  a  teaching  profession :  we  must  have  more  men  in  the 


profession,  and  men  of  ability  and  consecration  to  their 
work.  Our  education  must  be  more  practical  and  useful. 
It  is  with  these  thoughts  that  I  not  only  write  this  report 
but  that  I  enter  upon  my  new  duties  in  my  native  State. 
I  ask  that  the  teacher  give  my  discussion  a  careful  reading, 
and  then  study  some  of  the  leading  movements  in  this 
country,  that  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  before  offer- 
ing adverse  criticism.  If  this  report  proyokes  discussion 
among  the  teachers  of  the  State  then  I  shall  have -accom- 
plished much  and  shall  feel  rewarded  for  my  task. 


THE   SYSTEM   IN    GERMAN    SCHOOLS- 

We  often  hear  or  read   of  the   German   School   System, 

but  we  must  use  this  term  advisedly  and  not  to  understand 
that  the  schools  of  the  German  Empire  are  under  one  head 
or  authority.  There  are  twenty-six  States  in  the  German 
Empire,  including  the  free  cities  of  Hamburg,  Bremen,  and 
Luebeck,  each  of  which  has  its  own  system  and  is  in  no 
way  connected  officially  with  any  other  State.  In  fact,  edu- 
cation in  the  German  Empire,  as  in  our  own  country,  is  left 
entirely  to  the  individual  States,  yet  the  schools  throughout 
the  Empire  are  very  much  alike  and  similar  in  quality.  There 
are  several  reasons  for  this.  In  the  first  place  the  courses 
in  the  Hoehere  Schulen  (Secondary  and  College  Education), 
are  governed  by  the  requirements  of  the  Universities  which 
are  practically  the  same  for  the  twenty-three  Universities  of 
the  German  Empire.  The  Classical  Gymnasium  was  the 
principal  school  until  in  the  year  1900  when  the  King  of  Prus- 
sia issued  a  decree  admitting  the  graduates  from  the  Reform 
Schools  to  the  Universities  on  equal  terms  with  those  of  the 
old  Gymnasium.  Since  that  time  the  growth  of  the  Re- 
form Schools,  in  which  there  is  less  emphasis  put  upon  Latin 
and  Greek  or  in  which  these  subjects  are  made  elective,  has 
been  very  rapid.  There  is  no  question  that  the  best  teach- 
ing, the  most  enthusiastic  teachers,  and  the  best  equipment 
are  found  in  the  Reform  Schools.  There  is  likewise 
no  question  that  the  growth  in  these  schools  will  increase 
in  the  future.  The  teachers  of  the  Classical  Schools  fight  the 
Reform  Schools  and  insist  that  there  is  an  effort  made  by 
the  teachers  in  them  to  Americanize  the  German  Schools.  In 
spite  of  this  opposition,  as  in  our  own  land,  the  people  are 
turning  more  and  more  to  these  schools  and  are  neglecting 
the  study  of  the  Ancient  Classics. 

These  schools,  then,  are  kept  uniform  because  they  pre- 
pare for  entrance  to  the  University,  and  the  Universities  set 
the  standard,  but  that  is  not  true  of  the  elementary  school. 
It  corresponds  to  the  Grades  of  our  schools  and  prepares  for 


no  hig'her  school.  It  is  for  the  free  education  of  the  great 
mass  of  German  citizens  who  make  the  common  soldier  of 
the  German  army,  and  for  the  instruction  of  the  girls  who 
are  to  be  wives  of  this  class  of  men.  Yet  the  course  in  all 
these  schools  in  all  parts  of  the  empire  is  strikingly  similar 
and,  practically,  the  work  done  in  all  is  of  nearly  the  same 
grade  of  efficiency.  This  is  true  because  the  leaders  for  the 
last  forty  years  have  worked  to  establish  certain  ideals  and 
by  a  process  of  teachers'  training  have  established  certain 
methcrds  and  courses  which  are  types  for  all  parts  of  the 
country.  Every  individual  who  has  a  "fad"  he  wishes  to  work 
out  is  not  given  the  wished  for  opportunity  to  practice  upon 
a  credulous  public  at  the  people's  expense  and  at  the  immense 
cost  of  the  education  of  the  children  of  the  community.  If 
a  person  such  as  Herr  Schulrat  Dr.  Sichinger,  of  Manheim 
wishes  to  put  into  practice  a  scheme  such  as  the  "Mannheimer 
drei  Klassensystem"  he  has  to  show  to  the  leaders  of  the  whole 
profession  that  he  is  right  or  at  least  give  good  reasons  to  the 
profession,  "for  the  faith  that  is  in  him."  This  conservative 
feeling  and  the  unwillingness  to  go  to  an  enormous  expense  of 
instituting  or  changing  a  school  system  without  first  proof  of 
the  need  of  a  change  and  the  benefits  the  change  would 
bring  does  away  with  the  continual  experimenting  and,  in 
the  main,  holds  the  schools  throughout  the  empire  to  a  similar 
course. 

The   uniformity   in   the   courses   of  which  we   have   just 
spoken  does  not  do  away  with  the  individuality  of  the  teacher 
or  prevent   the   capable   teacher   from    exerting   his   superior 
knowledge  or  attainments  for  the  good  of  the  community  or 
the   school   system.      If   a   person   has   a   new   idea   he   must 
try  it  out  with  the  profession  first.     If  he  succeeds  in  con- 
vincing the   leaders   of  the   profession  or   any   part   of  them 
that  he  has  an  idea  worth  while  then  he  'may  have  the  op- 
portunity to  try  it  after  the  community  is  sure  that  the  children 
will  not  have  to  suffer  for  his  experiment.     No  country  has 
had  so  many  superior  men  who  have  risen  to  distinction  in 
the    educational   world   and   who   have   given   so   many   new 
ideas  which  have  been  so  universally  accepted.     Neither  do 


we  have  to  go  to  the  past.  We  have  but  to  refer  to  the 
above  mentioned  Dr.  Sickinger,  of  Manneheim,  Dr.  Kirchen- 
steiner  of  Munich,  Dr.  Max  Walter  of  Frankfort,  and  Herr 
Schulrat  WTehrhann  of  Hanover  to  see  that  Germany  is  pro- 
ducing men  in  the  practice  in  all  parts  of  her  domain  who 
are  rising  out  of  the  profession,  and  bringing  about  reforms 
which  must  affect  the  education,  not  only  of  Germany,  but 
of  the  world  of  the  future.  Not  only  is  this  opportunity 
present  for  individuals  to  rise  above  the  profession  and  work 
out  new  theories  in  practice,  but  there  is  room  within  the 
system  for  the  exercise  of  the  individuality.  Certain  re- 
sults are  expected  of  <every  one  who  teaches,  then  it  is  not 
left  to  some  principal  or  Superintendent  to  see  that  these 
results  are  secured.  Each  teacher  is  held  responsible.  Each 
teacher  must  know  his  work  and  do  it.  In  fact  he  is  not 
accepted  as  a  teacher  until  he  shows  his  ability  to  do  the 
work;  then  he  is  given  a  freedom  that  our  teachers  do  not 
know,  in  attaining  those  results. 

The  system  of  schools  in  each  State  is  thoroughly  or- 
ganized with  a  head  appointed  by  the  ruling  authority.  From 
this  certral  authority,  the  whole  school  system  is  organized. 
This  central  authority,  in  Prussia,  at  least,  designates  what 
shall  be  taught,  the  requirements  of  teachers,  and  indeed  all 
matters  of  school  policy.  Yet  the  system  is  in  no  sense  an 
autocracy.  For  very  definite  reasons,  which  will  appear 
later  in  the  discussion,  there  is  far  greater  freedom  for  the 
exceptional  teacher  to  demonstrate  his  ability  than  in  our  own 
land.  This  greater  opportunity  lies  in  the  appointment  and 
retention  of  teachers.  There  are  certain  requirements  which 
the  teacher  must  meet  before  he  can  be  admitted  to  the 
teaching  sbody.  These  qualifications,  as  we  shall  later  see, 
are  clearly  defined  and  are  not  impossible.  They  are  uniform 
and  uninfluenced  by  graft  or  favoritism.  Qualifications  are 
necessary  and  when  these  are  met,  the  teacher  is  licensed  to 
teach  and  when  he  has  proven  his  fitness,  he  can  not  be 
summarily  dismissed.  He  is  employed  for  life  and  no  power 
can  dismiss  him  except  for  immorality  or  for  violation  of  the 
law.  The  teacher  is  absolutely  free  from  the  entanglements 


of  politics  and  the  necessity  of  "playing"  to  the  School  Board. 
He  is  permanently  employed  at  a  salary  which  will  support 
himself  and  family  in  his  station  of  life,  and,  after  faithful 
service,  in  case  of  inability  or  age  he  is  rewarded  with  a 
pension.  This  makes  the  teacher  secure  for  life.  He  does 
not  need  to  worry  over  his  future,  and  therefore  he  is  free 
to  give  his  whole  time  to  the  service  of  the  community  and 
State.  He  is  likewise  not  dependent  upon  the  will  of  anyone 
for  his  position  and  can  exert  the  best  that  is  in  him  fear- 
lessly in  the  interst  of  what  he  feels  and  what  the  profession 
recognizes  as  right. 

This  freedom  and  security  of  the  teacher  in  his  work 
and  the  feeling  that  he  may  be  located  permanently  where  'he 
can  have  a  home  and  lasting  friends  have  several  advantages 
for  both  teacher  and  people.  In  the  first  place  a  person  is  not 
attracted  to  the  profession  oi  teaching  as  a  stepping  stone. 
He  prepares  himself  thoroughly  for  the  work  of  teaching,  so 
he  goes  into  the  work  with  the  intention  of  making, teaching 
a  life's  work  and  he  is  therefore  not  satisfied  with  anything 
short  of  his  very  best  efforts  in  his  chosen  work.  The 
teaching  profession  therefore  attracts  men  of  ability  and 
power  who  do  the  actual  teaching.  The  men  of  the  profession 
are  recognized  as  the  leaders  of  the  community,  and  the  per- 
sons to  whom  the  people  turn  with  confidence  for  advice.  It  is 
an  honor  to  be  a  teacher,  and  the  teacher  is  proud  of  his  chosen 
profession.  He  therefore  guards  jealously  the  sacred  trust 
committed  to  him,  as  an  honor  and  duty  to  the  profession.  He 
knows  no  honor  greater  than  rendering  the  highest  service 
possible  to  the  community,  because  the  State  has  given  him 
this  sacred  trust.  I  have  never  witnessed  a  more  inspiring 
sight  than  seeing  a  man  of  fifty  at  the  height  of  his  power 
and  enthusiasm,  throwing  his  whole  soul  into  his  work,  in  the 
teaching  of  a  third  grade  class.  He  was  a  man  whom  the 
children  loved  and  in  whom  they  had  confidence,  whom  they 
held  as  their  ideal  of  conduct  and  character.  The  man  had  no 
other  profession,  he  had  no  other  purpose  than  to  serve  the 
little  ones,  no  other  ambition  than  to  lead  these  children 
into  a  broader  life.  He  was  also  unhampered  in  his  task. 


10 

No  moments  of  consideration  whether  he  would 'be  retained 
another  year.  He  was  secure  and  free  from  all  worry,  and 
satisfied  because  of  the  honor  that  came  to  him  in  the  posi- 
tion he  faithfully  and  competently  filled. 

Such  a  station  in  life  is  to  be  desired  and  it  attracts  men 
of  influence  and  character.  Because  of  this  fact  there  is  a 
professional  spirit,  there  is  .really  a  teaching  profession.  These 
conditions  in  the  profession  brings  innumerable  advantages 
to  the  community.  First  it  is  of  value  to,  have  men  of  this 
caliber  in  the  community  as  leaders,  and  especially  as  teachers 
of  the  young.  These  teachers  are  unselfish  guardians  of  the 
future  citizens  of  the  community  and  State.  The  teachers 
are  in  the  community  for  life  and  it  is  very  necessary  that 
they  make  no  mistakes  for  which  they  must  answer  in  the 
future.  Above  all  they  know  the  people,  their  character- 
istics and  eccentricities,  and  can  therefore  teach  them  as  no 
new  person  could  who  comes  to  the  community  for  a  short 
stay.  He  becomes  a  part  of  the  commuity  for  life,  and  he 
feels  that  the  welfare  of  the  community  depends  to  a  large 
extent  upon  his  work. 

The  centralized  school  system  with  its  well  trained,  dis- 
ciplined teachers  permanently  located  gives  permanence  to 
the  whole  school  policy  and  makes  it  impossible  for  nepotism 
or  unfortunate  use  of  power  from  above.  It  gives  freedom 
of  action  but  not  license.  It  saves  the  interminable  expense, 
loss  of  energy  by  constant  change  not  only  of  teachers,  but 
of  the  whole  school  organization.  It  locates  power  and  re- 
sponsibility, and  locates  them  in  responsible  persons,  who  are 
a  part  of  the  community,  and  who  are  vitally  interested  in 
the  permanent  success  of  the  undertaking.  It  promotes 
steady  and  harmonious  working  toward  one  great  aim  and 
ideal.  In  many  of  our  cities  there  is  a  very  great  lack  of  a 
definite  policy  in  school  buildings  and  grounds,  in  equipment, 
and  necessary  supplies  for  running  the  school  system  of  the 
city.  It  often  occurs  in  this  country  that  some  person  who 
as  Superintendent,  wishes  to  promote  his  own  inter- 
est introduces  Manual  Training  or  some  "fad"  goes  to 
the  Catalogue  of  manufacturing  establishments  and  or- 
ders thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  equipment  with- 


11 

out  any  particular  relation  to  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity. Indeed,  what  does  such  a  superintendent  care  for 
the  interests  of  the  community  when  he  expects  to  use  this 
expenditure  of  funds  in  his  own  promotion,  and  he  knows 
that  it  will  not  foe  remembered  against  him  by  future  gene- 
rations. The  next  man  who  comes  along  throws  aside  much 
of  the  apparatus  as  useless  and  orders  more  which  is  again 
quite  as  useless  to  the  person  who  succeeds  him  two  years 
later  and  so  the  process  continues  endlessly.  And  who  can 
quite  blame  the  teacher  who  is  no  securer  of  his  tenure  or 
who  is  held  so  little  responsible  for  his  acts  or  who  has  so 
little  real  interest  in  the  community,  which  he  is  called  tem- 
porarily to  serve.  Under  such  conditions  who  can  expect 
that  the  teacher  will  serve  the  interest  of  the  community 
instead  of  his  own  interest? 

I  do  not  mean  to  paint  the  System  in  the  German  Schools 
as  ideal,  but  one  must  recognize  it  as  infinitely  better  than 
our  hap-hazard  methods,  and  we  must  recognize  that  it  is  only 
because  of  our  unlimited  resources  that  we  do  continue  this 
disastrous  waste  of  time,  energy,  and  money,  because  the 
future  must  find  more  economical  lines  along  which  to  de- 
velop our  school  system,  a  careful  study  of  the  German  schools 
will  give  us  an  insight  into  a  system  where  the  greatest  re- 
sults are  attained  with  the  least  expenditure. 


12 


ELEMENTARY  EDUCATION. 

The  only  schools  in  which  elementary  instruction  is 
given  in  Germany,  aside  from  the  Vorschule,  which  is  a 
three  years'  course  preparing  for  the  high  schools, — and  ele- 
mentary schools  for  girls — are  the  Volksschulen  (peoples 
schools).  These  cover  a  period  of  eight  years  oi  instruction, 
commencing  with  the  child  at  six.  Roughly  speaking  this 
school  corresponds  to  our  grades,  with  the  exception  that  it 
has  very  few  attending  it  who  will  later  attend  a  higher 
school  of  learning.  Its  purpose  is  to  give  the  lower  classes 
the  general  training  necessary  for  entrance  to  an  apprentice- 
ship and  to  the  Industrial  schools,  to  prepare  for  their  life's 
work,  or  to  prepare  them  for  entrance  to  a  Normal  School 
(Lehrers^minar),  to  prepare  for  the  profession  of  teaching,  or 
for  a  teacher  in  the  elementary  schools.  The  course  of 
study  in  the  'elementary  schools  in  general,  is  very  similar 
to  the  course  of  the  grades  in  America,  except  that  all  schools 
offer  courses  in  domestic  science  and  house-keeping  for  girls — 
i.  e.  coo'king,  sewing,  knitting,  etc.,  and  Manual  training  for 
boys.  The  country  schools  also  give  courses  in  agriculture. 
This  work  is  offered  with  a  different  purpose  from  that  of 
the  same  character  of  work  in  the  American  schools.  They 
make  no  pretention  for  the  work  in  Manual  arts  and  Domes- 
tic Science,  than  that  it  is  given  for  practical  purposes.  The 
teachers  emphasize  the  practical  side,  and  constantly  tell  the 
girls  that  this  work  will  prepare  them  to  make  the  clothing 
or  to  cook  for  their  husbands  when  they  marry.  The  boys 
are  likewise  taught  that  the  purpose  of  their  work  will  help 
to  prepare  them  for  the  trade  they  propose  to  follow. 

All  work  is  done  with  a  definite  purpose.  The  aim  is 
practical.  We  submit  here  some  lesson  plans  for  the  Volk- 
schule  which  will  show  how  the  instruction  is  divided  ac- 
cording to  subjects  and  hours  in  the  week: 


13 


Seven  Grade  School  in  Hanover. 


II        |       III         |        IV         |     ':      V  |     VI       |     VII 


1     Religion  _              

3 

4 

4 

1 

1     4 

4 

4 

11     German: 
1  Instruction   inObservation_ 

3 

7 

2  Reading   Dec   Literature 

s 

5 

3 

2 

9 

2 

3  Language,   Writing,   Compo- 
sition and  Dictation 

Q 

2 

4 

3 

3 

4 

4 

4  Writing  and  Business  forms. 
Ill     Arithmetic  and  Measuring: 

4 

3 

2 

2 

2 

1 

2  Measuring 

2 

3 

Iv    Drawing 

2 

2 

2 

? 

1 

v    History    _ 

1 

2 

2 

7 

vl     Geography 

1 

2 

2 

?, 

vll     Nature  Study: 
1  Nature  Study 

• 

1 

2 

2 

7 

3 

2  Physics  and   Chemistry 

? 

? 

vlll     Singing 

1 

2 

2 

? 

? 

Ix    Gymnasium 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

.    x    Manual  work  for  girls  

2 

4 

2 

4 

4 

1 

3 

Total     _                        _     

20 

22 

25 

28 

28 

32  | 

32 

We  submit  here  another  plan  which  represents  the  best 
schools  in  the  German  Empire,  and  is  a  little  different  from 
the  plan  just  submitted.  Dr.  Kerchensteiner  insists  upon 
educating  for  citizenship,  and  has  worked  out  the  following 
course  for  the  city  of  Munich : 

Seven  Class  Volkschule  in  Munich. 


SUBJECTS 

CLAS 

SES  ] 

'-VII. 

I 

II 

IHf 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

1.     Religion    _ 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

7 

7 

2.     German   Language 

8 

8 

8 

10 

10 

10 

10 

3.    Arithmetic 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

4.     Geography 

5.     History 

6.     Nature  Study 

8 

7 

5 

2 

2 

7.    Writing 

2 

2 

7 

8.     Freehand  Drawing 

3 

3 

4 

9.     Singing  _ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

10.     Gymnasium 

7 

7 

2 

2 

2 

9 

7 

11.     Manual  Work  ___     

4 

3 

4 

3 

3 

7 

7 

Total  

30 

30 

29 

26 

26 

73 

21 

14 

VIII — Last  year  for  boys. 

1  Religion 2  hours. 

2  Composition  with  Reading 4  hours. 

3  Civics    (Based  upon  the   History  of  the   19th 

Century)    2  hours. 

(a)  A  sketch  pf  the  History  of  the  Manual  Arts  of 

the  French  Revolution. 

(b)  Development  of  Industry,  trade  and  Exchange  in 

the  19th  Century. 

(c)  Business  and   Social  Lawmaking  at  the  close  of 

the  19th  Century;  The  Constitutions  of  Bava- 
ria and  Germany. 

4  Nature  Study  and  Technology 5  hours. 

(a)  Hygiene 1  hour. 

(b)  Study  of  Material  and  tools 2  hours. 

(c)  Erection  of  Machines 2  hours, 

5  Arithmetic,    including    Geometry    and    Boojk- 

keeping 6  hours. 

6  Drawing    7  hours. 

(a)  Free  Hand  Drawing 3  hours. 

(b)  Projection  Drawing 3  hours. 

(c)  Mechanical  Drawing 1  hour. 

7  Hand   Training   6  hours. 

8  Gymnasium : 2  hours. 

Total  for  boys  34. 

VIII— Last  Class  for  Girls. 

1.  Religion    2  hours. 

2.  Cooking  and  Housekeeping 8  hours. 

3.  Manual  training  for  Girls 4  hours. 

4.  Geriman  Language 6  hours. 

5.  Arithmetic 4  hours. 

6.  Singing 1  hour. 

7.  Drawing _ 2  hours. 

8.  Gymnasium  and  Play  with  singing 2  hours. 

Besides   these   obligatory   subjects   there   are   four   hours 

elective  either  in  French  or  commercial  drawing  offered; 
however,  in  order  to  prevent  overburdening  the  girls,  these 
subjects  are  made  alternative  to  take  the  place  of  others 
omitted. 


15 

It  should  be  mentioned  here  that  even  in  the  elementary 
school  ,the  work  under  the  subject  Arithmetic  is  not  limited 
to  the  matter  which  we  offer  in  our  grades.  Elementary 
Geometry  and  Algebra  are  offered  and  in  Arithmetic  special 
emphasis  is  put  upon  commercial  Arithmetic. 


Nature  Study  in  the  Grades. 

The  instruction  in  Nature  Study  in  the  Grades  is  divided 
between,  1 — description  of  Nature;  2 — History  of  Nature; 
(Botany,  and  Zoology,  etc.)  and  3 — Natural  Philosophy.  The 
Course  in  the  8th  Grade  in  Bremen  is  as  follows:  Magne- 
tism, Magnetic  distribution,  Earth  Magnetism,  Declination 
and  Inclination,  The  Northlight,  Electricity,  The  Electric  Cur- 
rent, The  Galvanic  Element  and  its  working.  The  Induction 
Apparatus.  The  function  of  the  electric  current.  Physiolo- 
gical function.  Heat  and  Light.  Magnetic  Functioning.  Tele- 
graph, and  Telephone.  Chemical  action.  Galvanic  plastic. 
Mechanics,  Hydraulic  pressure-  The  loss  of  weight  in  sub- 
merged bodies.  The  specific  weight  of  bodies.  Air  Pump, 
Water  Pump,  etc.,  etc.  Sound:  the  tone.  Musical  Instru- 
ments. The  human  voice  and  the  ear.  Light:  Concave  and 
convex  glasses.  Double  refraction  of  light.  Refraction 
through  prisms  and  lenzes.  Color  distraction  of  light.  The 
Rainbow,  optical  instruments.  The  human  eye.  Glasses. 
Chemistry:  Chalk  and  its  use.  Marble.  The  manufacture  of 
glass,  iron,  zinc,  lead,  tin  and  copper.  The  most  import- 
ant foods.  I  have  selected  here  only  a  part  of  what  is  offered 
in  these  subjects,  but  it  serves  as  an  illustration  of  the  science 
of  the  eighth  grade. 


16 


METHOD  OF  INSTRUCTION. 

We  cannot  give  in  any  detail  the  method  of  instruction 
in  the  German  schools,  but  we  wish  to  mention  in  particular 
the  work  of  Dr.  Kerschensteiner  in  Munich,  whom  we  have 
mentioned  above  and  whose  course  of  study  we  have  given  in, 
full.  This  course  includes  all  of  the  'exact  sciences,  a  study 
of  the  home,  Geography,  History,  and  nature  study.  It  at- 
tempts to  organize  this  material  into  an  organic  whole,  and 
at  the  same  time  make  use  of  the  whole  circle  of  observation 
and  imagination  "of  the  child  by  using  all  the  local  subject 
of  interests  and  objects,  which  may  be  used  as  educative  ma- 
terial, for  purposes  of  observation.  The  school  garden,  the 
aquarium,  and  school  excursions  to  the  monuments,  art  mu- 
seums, and  historical  buildings  of  the  city  of  Munich,  as  well 
as  the  physiographic  formation  of  the  country,  and  the  home 
industries. 

Dr.  Gizycki,  in  Lexis,  das  Unterrichtswesen  im  Deutchen 
Reich,  has  the  following  to  say  in  regard  to  the  successful 
operation  of  such  a  course.  "With  such  a  course  of  study 
a  teacher  of  ordinary  ability  can  not  only  give  the  pupil  a 
positive  sum  of  knowledge,  but  also  develop  in  him  the  capa- 
bility of  acquiring  from  the  surrounding  country,  and  his  ex- 
perience through  his  own  observation,  a  full  comprehension 
of  the  phenomena  of  Nature,  the  economic  and  social  condition 
of  the  community." 

"It  must  (be  mentioned  as  especially  satisfactory  that  the 
purpose  of  this  eminently  practical  study  plan,  in  setting 
the  end  for  natural  science,  is  to  bring  to  the  front  the  eth- 
ical and  aesthetic  points  of  view.  Kerchensteiner  says :  "The 
instruction  in  Natural  Science  leads  the  pupil  so  into  nature 
that  he  may  observe  the  causes  and  laws  of  natural  phenomena 
and  learn  to  conform  his  life  to  its  precepts."  In  the  pur- 
suance of  this  purpose  the  pupil  learns  to  take  Nature  as  a 
wise  adviser,  he  learns  to  love  and  treasure  Nature  as  the 
source  of  resignation  and  nobler  enjoyment.  The  instruction 


17 

in  Nature  study  has  neither  the  purpose  to  instruct  the  pupil 
in  a  complete  theoretical  knowledge  of  the  system,  nor  to 
instruct  him  in  the  Tecnic  of  trade  or  business.  These  two 
are  not  entirely  neglected,  but  are  only  so  far  regarded  as 
these  appear  within  the  boundary  of  the  principal  (purpose." 

There  has  been  one  effort  at  reform  of  the  German  ele- 
mentary school  which  deserves  special  attention  here.  It  is 
the  reform  lead  by  Dr._Sickinger,  Schulrat  of  Manheim,  the 
reform  bears  the  name  of  the  city — DAS  MANHEIMER 
DREI  KLASSEN  SYSTEM.  Dr.  Sickinger  divides  the 
children  of  the  city  into  three  classes,  according  to  their 
ability. 

The  first  class  contains  those  who  can  do  the  normal 
amount  of  work.  The  second  class  has  those  who  are  un- 
able for  physical  treasons  to  do  the  normal  amount  of  work 
and  need  special  help.  The  classes  of  the  second  grade  of 
pupils  are  very  much  smaller — about  twenty-five — and  the 
teacher  is  able  to  give  individual  attention,  so  that  the  pupils 
may  ultimately  be  able  to  enter  again  the  noraml  class.  If 
not  they  continue  to  the  end  of  the  course  in  the  second  class. 
As  there  is  compulsory  attendance  for  the  entire  school  year 
of  forty-two  weeks  to  the  end  of  the  14th  year  of  life,  all 
pupils  alble  to  enter  either  of  these  classes  may  complete 
the  work  of  the  eight  grades.  The  third  class  has  only  those 
children  who,  because  of  some  mental  or  physical  defect 
are  unable  to  enter  either  of  the  first  mentioned  classes.  They 
are  designated  as  the  feeble-minded,  yet  not  incapable  of  re- 
ceiving elementary  education.  These  classes  are  very  small 
and  are  under  the  care  of  specially  trained  teachers,  selected 
from  the  best  teachers  of  the  normal  classes  of  the  elementary 
schools.  These  pupils  receive  a  very  special  training  as  we 
shall  later  see,  and  their  teachers  become  a  kind  of  permanent 
guardian  for  them.  The  third  class,  just  described,  is  called 
the  Hilfklasse  (Help  class). 

The  pupils  found  in  the  second  of  the  three  classes  are 
often  unable  to  do  the  work  because  of  improper  food  and 
air,  or  perhaps  the  failure  is  due  to  overwork  at  (ho<me  and 
loss  of  sleep.  The  treatment  of  such  pupils  as  I  found  in 


18 

Herr  Rektor  Dicke's  schools  in  Bonn  is  worthy  of  special 
description.  The  pupils  who  are  found  to  be  suffering  from 
physical  weakness  of  any  kind  are  carefully  examined  by  the 
school  physician  who  reports  what  he  thinks  the  child  needs. 
The  parents  of  the  child  are  visited  by  the  teacher;  from 
the  data  secured  by  the  teacher  the  authorities  decide  what  is 
the  difficulty  with  the  child,  whether  it  is  suffering  from  im- 
proper nourishment,  sleep,  or  lack  of  pure  air.  It  is  also 
ascertained  whether  the  parents  can,  or  are  able  to  better  the 
child's  condition.  If  not,  the  child  is  provided  with  the  neces- 
saries, including  books,  clothing  and  food.  If  the  child  is 
over-worked  the  parent  is  ordered  not  to  continue  overwork- 
ing the  child.  If  the  parent  is  unable  to  give  proper  nourish- 
ment, food  is  provided.  In  other  words  the  parent  is  made 
to  do  all  he  can  for  the  education  of  the  child,  but  if  he  is 
unable  to  give  his  child  the  proper  schooling  then  the  city 
does  it  for  him.  In  the  summer  a  Waldschule  is  opened 
where  these  children  may  be  with  their  teachers  in  the  fresh 
air  and  sunlight  and  receive  proper  instruction  and  nourish- 
ment. Likewise  the  children  in  the  summer  six  weeks  vaca- 
tion assemble  upon  the  drill  grounds  for  the  soldiers,  and 
are  directed  in  games  by  the  teachers.  They  are  also  given 
free  milk  during  the  vacation-  The  State  feels  keenly  the 
need  of  giving  the  people  an  elementary  education,  and  it 
proceeds  in  a  systematic  way,  leaving  nothing  undone.  That 
it  is  successful  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  per  cent, 
of  illiteracy  is  less  than  four  tenths  of  one  per  cent  for  the 
whole  German  Empire. 

The  pupils  of  the  Hilfsschule  are  taken  under  even  closer 
supervision  and  care.  The  small  number  of  10-15  are  under 
a  well-trained  teacher  who  is  indeed  a  real  parent  to  the 
children.  The  work  is  largely  Manual  and  given  with  the 
very  .practical  aim  of  providing  the  children  with  a  training 
for  their  work  of  life;  they  are  trained  to  earn  a  livelihood. 
Besides  the  reading,  writing,  and  elementary  arithmetic  these 
children  are  taught  certain  Manual  work  in  order  to  quicken 
their  senses.  They*  are  also  taught  the  household  duties  and 
the  duties  they  will  be  called  upon  to  perform  as  citizens, 


19 

and  above  all,  the  pupil  is  made  to  feel  that  he  has  a  per- 
manent friend  in  the  teacher  to  whom  he  can  always  go  for 
counsel  and  help.  In  the  Hilfklassee  no  effort  is  made  to  com- 
plete a  graded  course  of  study.  In  the  eight  years  of  the 
school  period,  the  child  is  given  what  will  be  of  greatest 
service  to  him,  and  what  he  is  able  to  perform. 


20 


Below  we  submit  a  scheme  showing  the  three  classes  and 
their  relation  to  each  other: 

THE  MANHEIM  SPECIAL  CLASS  SYSTEM. 


A— Regular  Class  System— Eight  Classes.  Ag  VII— Graduation  Class. 

B— Forderklassen  System— Class  for  Weaker  A— Graduation  Class. 

Pupils-Six  Classes.  W— Review  Classes. 

C— Hilfsschule— School    for  H— Classes  for  Exceptionally  Weak   Pupils. 

Exceptionally  Weak  Pupils.  i-institution  for  the  Insane, 
V — Classes  of  Preparation  for  High  Schools. 

The  organization  of  the  special  class  system  in  the  Man- 
heim  schools,  and  elsewhere,  may  be  easily  seen  from  the 
foregong  scheme.  This  classification  is  made  in  the  interest 


21 

of  hygiene  and  as  the  regular  class  differs  very  little  from  the 
schools  of  other  cities,  needs  no  treatment  here-  The  pupils 
of  each  of  these  classes  have  special  physical  exercises  which 
are  prepared  with  -the  idea  of  developing  in  them  strong 
healthy  bodies.  The  separation  from  the  other  pupils  affords 
opportunity  for  this  special  physical  exercise  and  training. 
In  connection  with  the  Hilfsschule  there  is  a  place  pro- 
vided for  the  children  to  play  under  the  direction  of  a  teacher, 
so  .that  the  children  may  spend  the  entire  day  there,  especial- 
ly when  the  parents  are  at  work,  otherwise  the  child  when 
sent  home  might  be  subject  to  evil  influences  while  out  from 
under  the  care  of  parents  and  teacher.  After  a  careful  study 
of  this  classification  and  its  operation  in  several  cities,  I  must 
conclude  that  it  will  find  farther  development  and  introduc- 
tion in  Germany,  and  in  a  modified  form  would  meet  the 
needs  of  our  American  cities.  I  feel  confident  that  Dr. 
Sickinger  ihas  found  the  right  method  of  helping  the  back- 
ward pupil,  and  I  believe  that  its  phenomenal  success  in 
Germany  will  cause  its  trial  on  this  side  in  the  near  future. 


Physical  Training  in  the  Elementary  Schools. 

The  provisions  for  physical  training  in  the  Elementary 
schools  affords  us  a  lesson  we  would  do  well  to  copy.  While 
we,  for  the  most  part,  leave  the  physical  /training  of  the  child 
to  mere  chance,  or  undirected  play  on  the  grounds,  the  Ger- 
mans have  as  a  part  of  the  course  in  every  school  regular 
physical  training  under  the  direction  of  a  specially  trained 
physical  director.  The  kind  of  exercise  the  child  may  take 
is  determined  by  the  school  physician,  and  the  exercises  are 
strictly  carried  out.  Ball  playing,  running,  jumping  as  out- 
door exercises,  and  all  forms  of  indoor  gymnastic  exercises 
are  given  regularly.  I  never  saw  a  school  house,  however 
modest,  which  did  not  have  its  gymnasium.  As  a  result  there 
is  no  city  which  does  not  have  its  athletic  clubs,  swimming 
clubs,  football,  and  wanderung  clubs  of  young  men  who  have 
left  the  school.  The  systematic  physical  exercise  is  begun 
when  the  child  is  young  and  he  makes  it  a  part  of  his  daily 


22 

life.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  spends  too  much  time  in 
the  Beer  Halls,  yet  the  German  young  man  indicates  vigor  in 
his  bearing.  His  attitude,  his  walk,  the  grace  of  movement 
indicates  the  training  that  he  has  had. 


INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS. 

One  of  the  essential  differences  between  the  German 
Schools  and  our  own  American  Schools  is  the  practical  idea 
that  determines  all  the  activity  and  the  courses  of  the  former. 
Whether  we  study  the  Volksschule  or  the  higher  schools,  the 
Universities  or  special  schools,  we  are  forcibly  reminded  that 
at  each  turn  the  aim  and  purpose  is  eminently  practical. 
Each  school  prepares  the  pupil  for  something  practical,  and, 
before  a  course  is  adopted  or  a  change  made  in  the  course,  the 
profession  and  public  must  be  convinced  of  its  practicability 
We  offer  now  in  most  of  our  schools  some  form  of  Manual 
training,  not  with  the  idea  of  making  skilled  artisans  or  me- 
chanics for  those  who  take  these  subjects,  many  of  them  at 
least,  will  be  neither.  We  say  that  these  subjects  have  a 
cultural  or  disciplinary  value-  We  offer  Domestic  Science, 
Sewing,  Cooking,  in  some  cases  to  boys  as  well  as  to  girls. 
Such  action  would  be  impossible  in  the  German  Schools. 
To  the  German  there  is  only  one  purpose  for  offering  .cooking 
or  sewing  and  that  is  that  the  pupil  may  learn  this  work 
that  she  may  put  what  she  has  learned  into  actual  practice  in 
life-  Even  the  Manual  Training,  then,  as  far  as  it  is  introduced 
at  all  is  of  a  nature  that  the  pupil  may  perform  'his  chosen 
work  in  life  more  skillfully.  In  other  words  the  girls  learn 
cooking  because  they  are  going  to  be  wives  and  mothers  and 
must  do  the  cooking;  the  boys  learn  the  use  of  tools  and 
learn  how  to  make  things  that  they  may  actually  make  things 
in  life  and  in  their  chosen  trades.  The  'boys'  Manual  Training 
then  in  the  Volksschule  is  preparatory  for  his  trade  in  life. 

The  Germans,  however,  have  found  very  little  place  for 
the  Manual  and  Domestic  Arts  in  the  Elementary  schools 
because  they  consider  that  they  would  crowd  out  certain  edu- 
cational branches  that  are  necessary  for  the  child  to  have  who 
is  a  member  of  the  lower  German  artisan  and  labor- 
ing classes.  The  need  of  preparation  for  the  trades  and  for 
the  performance  of  skilled  labor  and  <the  impossibility  of  offer- 


24 

ing  such  special  courses  in  the  Elementary  schools  have  led 
to  the  establishment  of  industrial  and  trade  schools  of  every 
conceivable  kind.  It  is  these  schools  which  we  wish  to  ex- 
amine a  little  more  closely. 

From  the  foregoing  discussion  it  is  seen  that  the  trade 
and  industrial  schools  are  special  and  do  not  begin  with  the 
pupil  until  he  has  completed  his  elementary  school  course  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  These  schools  continue  during  the 
period  of  apprenticeship  from  fourteen  to  seventeen  or  three 
years  and  do  not  take  the  entire  time  of  the  pupil.  Some  of 
these  are  'held  on  Sunday,  others  require  that  the  parents  or 
employer  release  the  pupil  from  'his  duties  so  many  hours 
in  the  week,  that  he  may  pursue  his  studies  for  futher  prep- 
aration, and  still  others  are  evening  schools-  These  schools 
are  provided  by  the  city  councils,  by  the  commercial  clubs, 
and  by  employers  in  answer  to  local  needs,  and  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  Minister  of  Education.  These  schools  have 
grown  out  of  local  needs  that  are  felt  more  keenly  because 
of  the  acute  competition  in  every  trade  and  industry,  and 
because  it  is  impossible  for  any  one  to  earn  a  living  in  his 
special  trade  unless  he  understands  it  and  its  economic  opera- 
tion. Perhaps  the  need  is  not  more  imperative  than  with  us 
but  it  is  more  keenly  felt  There  are  certain  industrial  and 
trade  conditions  too  that  make  the  need  of  the  schools  more 
keenly  felt  in  Germany  than  in  America.  There  is  a  much 
larger  class  of  artisans  and  skilled  laborers  than  in  America. 
Tailors,  butchers,  bookbinders,  etc.,  are  found  in  every  town 
and  take  the  place  of  our  custom  tailors,  'packing  houses,  and 
large  publishing  companies,  etc.  This  difference  in  condi- 
tion has  made  us  feel  the  need  of  these  schools  less,  and  has 
keipt  our  elementary  schools  from  ibecoming  practical  schools 
so  long,  and  no  doubt  has  prevented  the  introduction  of  in- 
dustrial and  trade  schools. 

We  wish  to  notice  somewhat  more  closely  that  which  is 
actually  being  done  in  some  of  the  schools  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking.  The  school  for  butchers  as  an  example,  will 
illustrate  what  is  being  done  in  the  cities.  In  the  regulation 
of  the  butcher  school  in  Berlin,  we  find  the  following  re- 


25 

garding  the  school :  "The  purpose  of  the  school  is  to  educate 
the  butcher  apprentices  in  their  trades;  opportunity  is  given 
them  to  practice  their  trade  as  in  actual  life  in  order  to  in- 
crease their  capabilities  and  to  acquire  knowledge  and  finish 
in  the  calling.  The  main  purpose  of  the  school  is  the  educa- 
tion of  the  pupils  to  be  men  of  religious  habits."  In  order 
to  help  meet  the  expense  of  the  school  a  small  fee  of  six 
dollars  for  the  year  is  charged  each  pupil. 

Course  of  Study. 

(a)  German  Language  and  the  Practice  of  the  Trade- 
Our  Food  Animals,  the  method  of  acquiring;  then 
means   of   trade   in   and   transportation   of   animals 
for  butchering.     The  local  market. 

Meat — The  judging  of  meat.  The  preservation  of 
meats.  The  principles  of  the  preparation  and  pre- 
servation of  Wurst  articles.  The  smoking  of  meats. 
Indications  of  sickness  in  the  living  and  butchered 
animal. 
Principles  of  operation  of  a  butcher's  shop. 

(b)  Commercial  Arithmetic. 

Arithmetic  with  business  bookkeeping  and  the  most 
important  exchange,  trade  and  business  laws. 

(c)  Civics. 

Rights  and  duties  as  a  citizen  of  the  State  and  City- 
Special  laws  for  the  regulation  of  the  meat  trade, 
especially  knowledge  of  the  food  laws.  In  addition 
a  study  of  certain  other  laws  to  which  we  have 
none  to  compare,  as  the  insurance  laws,  laws  in  re- 
gard to  accident,  etc. 

(d)  Practice   four  hours   each  week   on   the   apparatus 
for  butchering. 

This  represents  briefly  the  course  in  one  kind  of  the 
special  industrial  and  trade  schools  and  will  give  an  idea  along 
what  lines  the  cities  are  working  in  order  to  prepare  their 
citizens  for  the  work  they  are  to  do,  and  protect  the  public 
from  the  imposition  of  unskilled  and  unfit  laborers  in  the 
different  trades.  The  country  is  not  lagging  behind  in  its 
efforts  to  do  something  for  the  rural  population.  Continuation 


26 

schools  are  conducted  in  the  country  as  well  as  in  the  town, 
'but  these  are  of  different  kind  and  designed  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  country  population.  These  courses  are  given 
principally  in  agriculture  and  are  conducted  by  the  rural 
teacher  after  the  regular  school  hours  and  in  the  evening. 
The  courses  include  a  study  of  the  soils  >and  how  to  protect 
and  preserve  the/m,  plant  life,  gardening,  fruit-growing,  seeds, 
etc.  The  German  skill  as  we  know  it  in  preserving  the  soil  and 
using  it  to  the  best  advantage  is  being  constantly  improved. 
The  advanced  work  and  successful  'knowledge  of  the  State 
agricultural  Colleges  are  thus  finding  immediate  practical  ap- 
plication by  the  farmers  of  the  State.  There  is  thus  a  con- 
nection between  the  agricultural  Colleges  and  the  people.  The 
schools  therefore  serve  a  purpose  other  than  to  afford  jobs 
for  a  lot  of  specialists  in  agriculture,  as  is  too  often  the  case 
in  America-  I  have  only  to  ask  to  what  degree  the  agricul- 
tural colleges  in  America  have  influenced  practical  farming  and 
to  let  the  reader  judge  from  his  own  knowledge  and  answer 
whether  I  am  fair  in  my  criticism  of  the  influence  of  our  agri- 
cultural schools.  I  recognize  that  some  states  as  Illinois  have 
done  much  along  practical  lines. 

We  do  not  have  to  turn  to  Germany  alone  to 
find  progress  along  these  lines,  for  Massachusetts  and 
New  York  have  seen  the  need  of  such  schools  and 
have  begun  work  along  that  line  in  the  last  few 
years.  New  York  especially  is  very  much  under  Ger- 
man influence.  S'upt.  Draper  of  the  New  York  State 
schools  expresses  our  needs  and  the  work  which  should  :be 
done  very  forcibly  in  a  publication  entitled :  "Our  Children, 
Our  Schools,  and  Our  Industry."  There  is  not  a  doubt  that 
Germany's  rapid  development  in  industry  and  the  trades  in 
recent  years  is  due  to  her  schools.  Her  rise  as  an  industrial 
nation  has  been  remarkable  in  the  face  of  almost  insurmount- 
able difficulties,  so  rapid  that  she  has  attracted  the  attention 
of  other  nations  that  have  begun  a  close  study  of  her  indus- 
trial schools  «to  which  all  attribute  her  rapid  progress. 

We  may  remark  here  at  the  close  of  this  discussion  of 
the  German  Industrial  schools  that  /the  teachers  for  these 


27 

schools  are  taken  from  the  elementary  schools.  Of  course 
this  selection  ds  possible  since  the  teachers  are  practically  all 
men.  This  would  be  a  more  difficult  solution  for  us  as  our 
elementary  teachers  are  practically  all  women,  yet  the  diffi- 
culty is  not  an  insurmountable  one.  In  my  recommendations 
to  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  Paducah  Schools  in  1906,  I 
suggested  that  such  schools  be  established  as  evening  schools 
and  that  -the  principals  and  men  teachers  of  the  High  School 
be  used.  My  leaving  prevented  me  from  following  up  the 
suggestion,  but  I  believe  a  happy  and  satisfactory  solution 
lies  in  carrying  it  out.  Even  if  there  is  not  so  much  taught  it 
will  have  a  value  we  have  hardly  so  far  conceived.  It  will  bring 
the  teacher  into  closer  touch  with  the  community  and  especial- 
ly the  industrial  needs  of  the  community.  As  all  educators  have 
felt  the  schools  are  too  far  from  the  people  and  too  near 
the  Universities.  This  plan  carried  out  would  be  the  beginning 
of  a  closer  relation  between  'the  people  and  the  schools,  and 
would  ultimately  make  the  work  of  the  regular  schools  more 
practical.  The  courses  in  agriculture  which  should  be  pre- 
sented in  the  country  schools  could  likewise  be  presented  by 
the  country  teacher,  when  we  insist  upon  normal  trained 
teacher  for  the  country  schools,  and  have  a  practical  course  in 
agriculture,  required  of  all  Normal  students. 

We  submit  here  a  list  of  the  continuation  and  special 
schools  in  Prussia,  which  will  indicate  what  is  being  done. 
These  schools  are  not  so  well  developed  in  Prussia  as  else- 
where in  the  German  Empire.  The  schools  for  cities  are  divid- 
ed into  two  classes;  1st,  Special  Business  Schools;  and  2nd, 
Special  Trade  Schools.  Under  the  first  mentioned  there  are: 

1.  The  Building  Schools- 

2.  Schools  for  Machines  and  Foundries. 

3.  Special  Schools  for  the  Metal  Industries. 
4-  Special  Schools  for  Artisans. 

5.  Special  Textile  Schools. 

6.  Schools  for  the  Promotion  of  the  Special  Industries. 
7-     Navigation  Schools. 

8.  Machine  Schools  for  Steamships. 

9.  The  mining  Schools. 


28 

10.  Schools  far  Housekeeping  and  Domestic  Science  for 
Girls. 

11.  Schools  for  Blacksmiths. 

12.  The  regular  Continuation  Schools. 

Under  the  second  class,  mentioned  above,  there  are  the 
higher  and  lower  trade  schools  and  the  trade  .continuation 
schools. 

There  are  still  to  be  mentioned  the  special  schools  for 
the  country  boys,  and  the  elementary  agricultural  schools- 
The  instruction  is  practical  as  well  as  theoretical;  the  first, 
preferably  in  the  summer;  the  latter  in  the  winter.  The  prac- 
tical training  is  given  to  all  in  the  necessary  agricultural 
work.  This  must  be  learned  and  carried  out  by  'every  pupil 
through  continuous  practice.  Opportunity  is  offered  for  this 
purpose  through  the  work  upon  the  farm  which  is  connected 
with  the  school.  Theoretical  instruction  is  given  in  the  ele- 
mentary branches,  in  the  theory  of  agriculture,  in  Natural 
Science,  in  gardening  and  orchards,  in  animal  diseases  and 
their  cure,  and  in  Political  Economy  and  agricultural  laws. 
The  length  of  the  course  is  two  years.  The  necessary  re- 
quirements for  entrance  to  these  schools  is  the  completion 
of  the  work  of  the  eight  grades  and  a  knowledge  of  simple 
agricultural  practice.  The  pupils  of  these  schools  are  for  the 
most  part  the  sons  of  the  common  peasants  and  country 
people  of  the  lower  and  middle  class  between  the  ages  of 
fifteen  and  twenty  years.  This  indicates  the  character  of  the 
work  that  is  done  for  the  country  people  who  are  to  remain 
upon  the  farm  and  with  the  description  of  the  butchers'  school 
in  Berlin  will  illustrate  what  is  being  done  in  all  the  schools 
of  Germany.  We  can  not  go  into  further  detail  'here. 


29 


TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS  IN  THE  ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOLS. 

The  teachers  for  the  German  Elementary  schools  are 
trained  in  Lehrerseminaren  (training  schools)  and  must  after- 
wards pass  the  State  examination  before  being  allowed  to 
teach-  No  person  can  teach  under  any  condition  in  public 
or  private  schools  that  has  not  first  secured  the  certificate 
of  graduation  from  one  of  the  training  schools,  and  then 
passed  satisfactorily  the  State  examination.  Private  schools 
are  subjected  to  the  same  requirements  and  the  same  supervi- 
sion as  the  public  schools  and  therefore  may  be  better  but 
can  not  be  worse  than  the  public  schools,  otherwise  there 
would  be  no  excuse  for  their  existence.  The  course  of  study 
that  the  teachers  are  required  to  take  is  the  result  of  the  best 
educational  thought  in  Germany  for  the  past  years,  and  is 
practically  the  same  throughout  the  German  Empire.  The 
pupil  must  first  have  completed  the  regular  class  of  the  grades 
with  high  standing.  He  is  then  entered  into  the  preparatory 
school  which  covers  a  period  of  three  years.  In  the  prepara- 
tory school,  he  takes  up  his  higher  Education  and  pursues  the 
study  of  Music,  History,  Mathematics,  Science,  German,  Art, 
and  one  Modern  Language.  The  pupil  upon  his  completion 
of  this  preparatory  course  is  about  equal  to  the  graduate  of 
a  first  class  High  School  in  America.  Then  'he  is  ready  to 
enter  upon  his  professional  work,  which  continues  three  years. 
In  connection  with  the  professional  work  the  student  continues 
his  Academic  work.  The  study  in  Psychology  and  Method 
is  similar  in  the  German  Training  School  to  that  in  our  own 
Normal  Schools,  but  all  practice  teaching  is  eliminated  until 
after  the  close  of  the  school  course  and  then  one  year  is  set 
apart  in  which  practice  teaching  is  done,  or  rather  one  year 
is  practice  year.  This  makes  seven  years  that  each  teacher 
must  have  after  he  has  completed  the  work  of  the  eight  grades 
before  he  can  be  employed  as  a  teacher  at  all.  At  the  end 
of  the  sixth  year,  or  upon  graduation,  from  the  Training 


30 

School,  he  can  take  the  examination,  and  must  pass  his  ex- 
amination before  he  begins  his  practice  year-  In  case  of  fail- 
ure to  pass  in  the  first  instance,  the  candidate  is  given  one 
more  trial,  and  if  he  then  fails,  he  is  forever  debarred  from  the 
teachers'  examination.  After  passing  the  examination  he  is 
admitted  to  his  practice  year,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year, 
if  he  has  proved  himself  to  be  a  competent  teacher,  he  may 
be  permanently  employed.  There  is  no  difference  in  the  re- 
quirements for  the  rural  and  the  city  teac'her,  however,  the 
men  usually  'begin  their  career  in  the  country  schools,  and 
then  the  best  of  the  country  teachers  are  selected  later  and 
brought  into  the  city  to  supply  the  requirements  there.  It 
is  useless  to  say  that  with  such  requirements  there  is  a  teach- 
ing profession  in  Germany.  No  one  would  go  into  the  pro- 
fession with  any  other  intention  than  to  devote  his  life  to 
the  work.  It  seems  to  me  that  here  we  also  make  a  mistake 
when  we  give  free  tuition  for  a  promise  to  teach  a  certain 
number  of  years.  It  would  certainly  work  better  if  we  set  up 
such  requirements  that  no  one  would  enter  the  profession 
who  did  not  expect  to  teach,  and  then  make  it  possible  for 
'him  to  teach  with  credit  to  himself  and  not  be  subject  to 
dismissal  at  the  whim  of  some  parent,  who  does  not  want 
his  son  John,  "  to  study  Grammar."  I  have  never  seen  bad 
teaching  even  in  any  country  school  in  Germany  that  I  have 
visited.  In  fact,  I  have  seen  worse  teaching  in  public  schools 
in  America,  including  some  of  the  Chicago  High  Schools, 
than  I  saw  in  any  of  the  elementary  schools  I  visited  in 
Germany.  There  are  likewise  teachers  who  are  holding 
places  in  our  high  schools,  so-called  colleges,  and  State  Nor- 
mal Schools  who  'have  not  had  sufficient  Academic  or  pro- 
fessional training  to  secure  a  certificate  to  teach  in  the  poorest 
country  schools  in  the  German  Empire.  I  say  this  in  S'hame 
and  not  to  offer  an  adverse  criticism.  The  blame  for  our 
educational  status,  our  enormous  per  cent  of  illiteracy,  lies 
with  the  teaching  profession  and  not  with  the  patrons  of 
our  state.  From  close  contact  with  the  teachers  of  the  state 
for  the  last  thirteen  years,  I  must  say  that  there  is  no  class 
of  people  so  little  awake  to  educational  advancement,  or 


31 

reform.  The  country  teacher  sits  blandly  down  and  follows 
with  his  finger,  the  question  of  the  Geography,  and  is  supreme- 
ly content  when  he  has  elicited  the  answer  which  the  book 
gives.  We  may  expect  an  educational  renaissance  when  our 
teachers  prepare  themselves  and  not  before.  If  I  should 
sum  up  the  difference  between  the  German  schools  and  OUTS 
I  should  say  that  it  Iks  entirely  in  the  quality  of  the  work 
of  the  teachers  in  the  schools.  This  does  not  mean  that  I 
think  the  course  of  study  as  offered  in  the  German  schools 
is  better  than  what  we  attempt  to  give.  I  do  not  mean  that 
German  educators  have  solved  better  the  means  of  educa- 
tion, or  rather  that  ithe  German  school  would  fit  America. 
Indeed,  I  found  certain  forces,  as  the  army,  influencing  the 
German  schools  and  German  (teaching  from  which  we  are 
glad  to  be  free.  The  teaching  and  aim  in  the  German  schools 
would  not  be  practicable  in  ours-  But  every  German  teacher 
can  tell  you  what  is  the  aim  of  his  teaching  and  the  aim 
'he  'has  in  the  presentation  of  each  lesson-  He  knows  the 
relation  of  each  lesson  to  the  child,  and  the  child  is  able  to 
do  at  the  end  of  the  course  what  he  has  expected  <him  to  be 
able  to  do.  In  other  words,  the  ideals  and  aims  for  which 
the  German  teacher  strives,  'he  actually  reaches,  'because  he 
has  a  definite  end  and  knows  how  to  attain  it.  If  the  aim  is 
not  right,  that  is  a  fault  of  the  system  and  not  of  the  in- 
dividual teacher,  for  the  individual  teacher  does  his  work 
and  fulfills  his  purpose  thoroughly.  The  teadier's  prepara- 
tion does  not  end  with  this  thorough  course  which  we  have 
described.  In  his  leisure  liours  he  devotes  himself  to  further 
preparation  for  his  work.  Men,  thirty-five  to  fifty  years  of 
age,  wlio  would  compare  favorably  with  teachers  in  some 
of  our  colleges  are  teaching  in  elementary  schools,  not  as 
principals,  but  as  the  actual  teachers,  and  it  is  not  unusal 
to  see  a  score  of  such  men  composing  the  entire  corps  of 
a  school  devoted  to  the  education  of  the  little  ones. 

It  is  such  a  contrast  to  what  1  recently  saw  when  I  was 
called  upon  to  address  a  teachers'  association  in  one  of  our 
leading  counties  in  Kentucky.  I  found  a  house  crowded  with 
enthusiastic  patrons  who  were  eagerly  interested;  there  to 


32 

learn  more  of  what  they  could  do  in  the  promotion  of  edu- 
cation, and  especially  for  the  education  of  their  children-  They 
were  listening  intently  to  the  discussion  of  plans  by  which 
county  high  schools  might  be  established.  But  of  the  teachers 
whose  names  were  called,  scarcely  20  per  cent,  were  present. 
This  is  just  ,a  repetition  of  what  I  saw  many  times  when  I 
began  my  professional  career  as  a  country  school  teacher 
thirteen  years  ago,  and  at  that  time  the  teachers  were  not 
engaging  in  anything  useful  on  Saturdays,  when  these  meet- 
ings were  held.  In  this  interest  and  knowledge  of  the  work 
being  done  by  the  German  teacher  and  the  lack  of  both  in- 
terest and  good  will  by  the  American  teacher  lies  the  differ- 
ence between  the  results  of  the  two  countries  in  education.  1 
mean  of  my  own  state  in  particular.  If  we  attain  better  results 
we  must  reach  the  teacher.  The  people  are  willing  and  able 
We  simply  need  qualified  teachers  to  take  the  initiative,  and 
our  problems  in  education  will  be  solved. 

The  question  of  (the  necessary  preparation  for  the  Nor- 
mal School  teacher  has  agitated  the  minds  of  the  educators 
in  Germany  as  it  has  in  this  country.  What  educational 
qualifications  shall  be  required  of  the  person  who  wishes  to 
teach  in  a  Normal  School-  So  far,  in  this  country,  for  the 
most  part,  we  have  had  no  standard  and  no  definite  code 
of  practice,  except  that  there  has  'been  general  antipathy 
toward  University  trained  man.  Indeed,  we  find  very  few 
such  men  in  our  Normals.  This  stage  has  been  long  since 
passed  in  Germany.  Formerly,  Normal  .trained  men  could 
take  up  teaching  in  the  Normal  schools  when  they  had  proved  - 
successful  as  teachers  in  the  public  schools,  but  now  these 
places  require  University  trained  men  or  Normal  trained  men 
who  'have  afterward  taken  a  special  course  which  has  been 
provided  for  candidates  for  positions  in  Normals.  The 
purpose  of  these  special  courses  is  the  scientific  discussion 
of  the  sulbject  matter  offered.  These  courses  are  offered  in 
Berlin  where  the  Museums,  collections,  and  institutions  of 
economic,  hygenic,  social,  and  humanitarian  or  philanthropic 
character  are  open  to  the  students.  This  course  continues 
for  one  year  and  the  lectures  are  given  by  the  University 


33 

professors  and  other  school  officials.  Every  person  must  at- 
tend the  following  lectures:  1.  Pedagogy  and  Philosophy; 
2.  German  Language  and  Literature;  3.  History  of  Civili- 
zation and  Art;  4-  Hygiene;  5.  Political  Economy.  The 
following  courses  are  offered  as  electives :  1.  Mathematics; 
2.  Geography;  3.  Physics;  4.  Chemistry;  5.  Zoology;  6. 
Physiology  of  the  Language  and  the  Voice ;  7. .  School  Hy- 
giene; 8.  History;  9.  French;  10.  English;  11.  Institu- 
tions for  Social  Betterment.  Dr.  Edward  Clausnitzer  says 
of  the  requirements  for  the  Normal  teachers :  "The  erection 
of  this  course  is  very  much  attacked,  and  those  attacking, 
demand  in  its  place  the  substitution  of  a  course  in  the  'Uni- 
versity. It  must  be  taken  into  consideration — and  the  most 
celebrated,  and  best  educated  of  (the  body  of  Volkschule 
teachers  agree  to  it — that  the  decision  in  regard  to  the  re- 
quirement of  special  study  in  the  University  for  the  Normal 
school  teachers  is  not  near  ready  to  be  made  yet.  In  this 
respect  the  Universities  have  not  so  far  taken  regard  to  the 
preparation  of  Normal  teachers  or  to  the  demands  of  the 
Normal  school.  The  question  in  this  special  course  is  not 
one  of  giving  an  education,  but  of  continuing  the  preparation, 
the  training  already  begun.  Through  conditions  which  can 
not  be  removed  it  is  impossible  to  extend  this  course  longer 
than  one  year,  on  this  account  lectures  must  ibe  offered  which 
will  present  the  best  opportunity  for  the  most  economic 
use  of  the  time  of  the  student.  Technical,  Agricultural, 
Forest,  and  Mining  Schools  have  .broken  loose  from  the 
University  and  have  and  possess  their  own  colleges,  because 
the  latter  had  become  too  much  congested.  In  similar  man- 
ner the  scientific  continuation  courses  have  their  places.  Es- 
pecially since  it  remains  to  every  participant  on  this  course, 
so  far  as  his  time  allows,  to  attend  the  University  lectures ; 
and  every  Volkschule  teacher  has  the  right  to  register  for 
work  in  the  University."  It  is  not  here  a  question  of  the  re- 
quirements but  what  schools  can  best  fulfill  the  requirements. 
It  must  be  noted  here  that  the  German  University  does  not 
have  its  department  of  Education  as  is  the  case  in  the  Ameri- 
can schools,  and  so  this  is  the  reason  of  the  discussion.  It 
is  a  question  whether  the  Universities  are  prepared  to  give 


34 

the  necessary  training,  and  if  not  should  courses  be  arranged 
in  the  University  or  in  special  schools. 

In  order  to  get  a  better  conception  of  the  work  they  are 
to  do  and  the  preparation  they  have  for  doing  the  work  of  this 
special  school,  let  us  look  somewhat  closer  into  the  course 
required  for  the  Normal  school  student.  The  teaching  of 
religion  is  always  placed  first  in  the  curriculum  in  true  Nor- 
mals and  Elementary  schools.  Dr.  Edward  Clausnitzer  says : 
"Religion  and  Fatherland,  Throne  and  Altar,  as  some  one 
has  said,  are  the  basis  of  the  German  School  System.  In 
fact,  religion  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  of  educa- 
tion, the  caire  of  which  must  be  carefully  watched  over,  and 
which  must  not  be  left  to  private  wish-  So  long  as  the  state 
makes  the  claim  to  be .  Christian,  it  must  make  religion  a 
part  of  the  school  system  which  it  supports.  Therefore  the 
state  does  not  leave  religious  education  to  the  church  alone 
but  takes  an  eminent  part  in  the  work."  The  teaching  of 
religion  consists  of  a  study  of  the  bible  and  the  'beliefs  of 
the  church  as  well  as  the  history  of  the  church.  I  found, 
however,  so  far  as  I  was  able  to  observe,  that  the  teaching 
of  religion  had  no  particular  moral  effect  upon  the  children. 
It  appeared  more  as  science  than  as  an  art,  and  simply  took 
its  place  along  with  other  school  subjects  as  a  part  of  the 
school  curriculum.  I  do  not  believe  as  some  of  our  educators 
or  as  our  German  friends  that  the  teaching  of  religion  'has 
the  many  advantages  they  claim  for  it.  As  a  basis  of  all 
the  training  of  the  German  teacher  is  the  religious  and 
national  idea.  Every  subject  has  for  its  immediate  aim  first, 
the  making  of  Christians,  i.  e.  Catholics,  Protestants,  or  Jews ; 
and  second,  patriotic  citizens.  Since  this  is  the  first  aim  o!  all 
teaching  then  mudi  of  the  emphasis  is  placed  upon  these 
subjects  in  the  schools  where  teachers  are  trained-  Outside 
of  the  training  in  religion  and  citizenship,  there  is  the  definite 
work  in  other  subjects  a  short  description  of  which  we  will 
here  present. 

Pedagogy — A  German  writer  says :  "An  der  Spitze  der 
fuer  der  Kunftigen  Ivehrer  notigen  Geisteswissenschaft  steht 
die  Paedagogik."  Pedagogy  has  its  basis  in  Psychology. 


35 

Three-fourths  of  the  first  year  in  the  school  is  devoted  to  the 
study  of  Psychology,  and  the  remainder  of  the  year  is  de- 
voted to  General  Method.  In  the  second  year. Psychology  is 
continued  half  the  year,  and  special  method  is  given  the 
second  half  of  the  year.  Since  all  Pedagogy  rests  upon  the 
Psychology,  half  of  the  third  year  is  given  to  Psychology, 
and  the  remainder  to  the  History  of  Pedagogy. 

German — The  emphasis  put  upon  the  German  Language 
in  the  German  school  indicates  the  place  which  the  English 
should  have  in  ours.  "The  objection  to  the  higher  schools 
are  often  made  that  they  neglect  the  instruction  in  German 
in  favor  of  the  foreign  languages.  That  is  not  the  case  in 
the  Normal.  It  remains  as  most  national  educative  material 
in  the  midst  of  the  instruction,  as  is  a  matter  of  course  in 
training  schools  for  teachers.  Instruction  is  offered  in  German 
in  three  years  of  the  preparatory  school  and  in  the  first  two 
of  the  Normal.  Two-thirds  of  the  time  is  given  to  the  practice 
instruction  and  the  other  to  method-  The  aim  of  the  in- 
struction is  stated  as  follows :  "Finish  in  the  written  and 
spoken  mother  tongue,  knowledge  of  the  important  chapters 
of  the  mother  tongue,  History  of  German  Literature,  and 
the  development  of  Patriotism  through  the  study  of  the  mas- 
ters of  our  literature/' 

History — History  is  offered  through  the  entire  course  for 
three  hours  each  week  in  the  preparatory  school  and  two 
hours  in  the  Normal.  The  purpose  of  History  is  especially 
to  give  patriotism,  and  therefore  practically  all  of  time  is  de- 
voted to  German  History. 

.Foreign  Language — Since  1901  every  student  in  the  Nor- 
mal must  have  at  least  one  foreign  language,  and  a  writer 
characterizes  this  requirement  as  the  greatest  advance  ever 
made  in  the  course. 

Natural  Science — Under  this  head,  Mathematics,  Nature 
Study,  and  Physiography  especially ;  although  the  other  scien- 
ces are  not  neglected,  the  purpose  of  the  instruction  is  not 
to  educate  specialists,  but  to  teach  the  students  to  love 
Nature  and  understand  her.  This  is  a  marked  difference  from 


36 

the  aim  of  some  of  our  Normals  and  I  am  frank  in  saying 
that  I  believe  that  this  is  the  true  purpose  of  Nature  Study. 
I  read  recently  in  a  catalogue  of  a  Normal  School  in  America: 
"Those  desiring  to  enter  the  medical  profession  will  find  the 
work  of  great  value  to  them."  This  was  said  of  the  courses 
in  Bacteriology,  Histology,  and  Experimental  Physiology. 

The  last  group  of  subjects  that  the  teacher  must  study 
is  the  art  group  consisting  of  Art,  Writing,"  Drawing,  Gym- 
nasium, and  Music.  These  are  not  considered  as  special  sub- 
jects in  the  Normal,  but  are  regarded  as  subjects  used  for 
general  educative  value,  and  appear  to  be  offered  with  more 
definiteness  of  aim  than  is  the  case  with  us. 


37 


TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHERS  FOR  THE 
HILSCHULE. 

The  training  of  the  teachers  for  the  Hilfschule  or  school 
for  the  delinquents  and  defectives  deserves  special  discussion 
here.  The  growth  of  these  schools  has  been  so  rapid  in  the 
last  years  that  the  schools  have  been  forced  to  select  the 
best  teachers  from  the  Volksschule  and  employ  them  without 
giving  them  special  training  for  the  work.  However,  only 
those  persons  are  selected  from  the  teaching  body  in  the 
elementary  schools  who  have  shown  special  interest  in  their 
work,  and  special  aptitude  in  the  handling  of  delinquent 
children;  those  who  have  proven  by  their  success  that  they 
are  specially  adapted  to  handling  such  children-  Then  they 
must  have  specially  acquainted  themselves  with  the  literature 
on  the  subject  of  handling  delinquents.  These  two  necessary 
requirements  for  the  candidates  for  teaching  in  this  special 
school  insured  that  only  mature  teachers  of  the  elementary 
school  who  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  theory  of  teach- 
ing backward  children  and  had  really  showed  their  fitness 
for  such  work  could  secure  a  place  in  one  of  these  schools. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  work  of  these  special  teachers,  in  the 
year  1899,  a  special  school  was  established  in  Zurich  Schwit- 
zerland  for  the  training  of  teachers  for  these  schools.  The 
success  of  this  school  was  such  that  it  was  followed  by  the 
establishment  of  one  in  Jena  in  1904  and  still  another  in  Bonn 
a  little  later  by  Rektor  Lessennich  of  the  Hulfsschule  of 
that  place.  This  school  has  had  a  remarkable  growth  and 
now  has  students  from  all  parts  of  Europe.  It  is  also  recog- 
nized as  the  best.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Rektor  I  was 
invited  to  attend  one  of  these  courses  as  a  guest,  and  spent 
several  weeks  in  a  close  examination  of  the  work.  The  work 
that  the  delinquents  were  doing  was  not  short  of  marvelous. 
A  short  sketch  of  the  course  that  was  given  the  studefit- 
teachers  will  indicate  the  importance  of  the  task  the  educa- 
tional leaders  are  undertaking.  The  names  of  those  giving 


38 

courses  are  sufficient  to  'indicate  the  character  of  the  work. 
City  and  division  (similar  to  county)  School  Inspector,  Dr- 
Baedorf,  Dr.  Richard  Foerster,  Head-Physician  of  the  Psy- 
ciatrical  Clin'k  and  Institute  for  the  care  and  cure  of  the 
Abnormal  of  the  Rhein  Province,  Rektor  Horrix  of  the  Hilfs- 
schule  in  Duesseldorf,  Rektor  Lessennich  in  Bonn,  Prof.  Dr. 
Schmidt,  School  Physician  in  Bonn.  In  addition  to  these  were 
the  teachers  in  the  Hilfschule  who  assisted  in  the  work. 

The  following  are  the  courses  that  were  offered  and  they 
indicate  the  special  character  of  the  instruction  and  also  the 
necessary  qualification  on  the  part  of  the  student  who  heard 
the  lectures : 

Speech  building  and  speech  defects. 
Laws  of  health  for  the  Hilfschule. 
Care  of  the  body  and  gymnastics  for  the  pupils. 
Phonetics. 

Material  for  the  teacher  and  pupil  in  the  Hilfschule. 
Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  sick  and  well- 
Nervous  system. 
The    different    forms    of    inherent   weak-minded,    its 

causes  and  characteristics. 
Selected  chapter  from  the  Psychology  of  the  <child 

and  Pedagogical  Pathology. 
The  teacher's  and  lesson  plan. 
.  Modeling. 

Organization  of  the  Hilfschule. 
Care  for  the  graduates. 
Course  in  the  methods  of  curing  defective  speech. 

After  such  a  special  course  the  teacher  can  be  employed 
in  this  special  school.  It  is  not  any  wonder  that  with  such 
material  the  work  accomplished  is  wonderful. 

It  seems  to  me  fitting  in  the  close  of  this  discussion  on 
the  German  Elementary  Schools  and  the  institution  for  the 
training  of  teachers  for  these,  to  give  quotation  from  a  Ger- 
man, Dr.  Franz  Kuypers,  who  made  a  careful  study  of  the 
American  schools.  It  seems  to  me  that  his  criticism  repre- 
sents strikingly  the  defects  of  our  American  schools,  and 
more  especially  so  in  Kentucky,  than  is  the  case  in  other 


39 

states.  He  says :  "Clearly  there  lies  two  directions  of  danger 
in  the  American  school  life.  Following  blindly  the  interest  of 
the  pupil  results  in  full  lack  of  system.  The  thorough  mixing 
of  the  easy  and  the  difficult  has  'resulted  in  the  grammar 
grades  offering  painting,  drawing,  etc.,  the  same  as  the  primary 
grades,  an  example  we  find  only  in  America-  Because  they 
fail  to  have  a  systematic,  methodical  development,  the  work 
of  the  upper  classes  fails  in  exactness  and  care ;  such  as  might 
be  easily  -reached  by  a  systematic  arrangement  of  the  course 
plans,  and  such  as  is  absolutely  essential  in  life.  Exactly, 
the  new  German  method  of  drawing,  which  has  been  laid 
aside  by  the  American  schools  is  an  example  of  the  difference 
between  the  inclination  of  the  German  to  Method,  going  to 
the  bottom  of  things  and  the  unmethodical  characteristic  of 
the  American."  In  this  study  the  German  would  surpass  the 
American  as  was  shown  in  the  World's  Fair  at  St.  Louis. 
"The  second  danger  is  more  general  and  of  more  formal 
nature.  The  prudent  American  calls  it  'show  work.'  This 
symptom,  the  inclination  to  show,  may  be  seen  in  the  large 
and  small  expositions-  The  whole  instruction  is  never  en- 
tirely free  from  defect  in  finish.  The  American  strives  for 
versatility.  Therefore  he  leads  to  the  fatal  conclusion  which 
John  Stuart  Mill  censured  in  the  resourceful  people,  that  any 
body  was  fit  for  anything.  From  this  thought  springs  both 
causes  which  the  American  pedagogue  concludes  as  the  cause 
of  the  superficiality  of  the  work,  the  development  of  the  course 
of  study  and  the  neglect  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  princi- 
ples and  of  the  practice.  Elementary  work  neglected — High 
School  work  attempted."  This  last  danger  lies  especially  near 
to  us  in  Kentucky  at  this  time,  for  without  careful  procedure, 
we  shall  do  things  for  which  our  sister  states  will  smile.  The 
danger  lies  very  strikingly  in  two  directions.  An  illustration 
is  in  place  here.  At  a  meeting  of  country  teachers  and 
patrons  in  which  I  participated  a  few  days  ago  the  subject 
of  the  County  High  School  came  up  for  consideration.  The 
people  discussed  with  serious  earnestness  how  they  might 
establish  a  high  school  in  their  sub-district  or  magisterial 
district.  Assurance  was  given  that  the  County  Board  would 


40 

establish  a  High  School  if  the  people  wished  it.  Such  aii 
action  would  be  nothing  short  of  simple-  There  is  not  a 
graded  school  in  the  district,  nor  an  ungraded  one  that  does 
thorough  work.  What  is  needed  is  a  school  doing  elementary 
work  of  a  character  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  community. 
A  school  in  which  something  else  than  a  little  reading,  which 
does  not  touch  or  influence  a  child's  life  further  than  the 
influence  of  the  punishment  he  receives  for  not  preparing 
his  lessons  in  the  reading  book;  a  little  book  Arithmetic, 
principally,  the  Metric  System,  Exchange,  Square  and  Cube 
Root  and  Mensuration,  etc.;  a  little  Geography;  History; 
Physiology  and  Civics  taught  t>y  the  'finger-method-'  What 
we  need  is  a  revolution  in  the  method  and  matter  of  the 
country  school,  and  we  need  it  badly  in  Kentucky.  This 
change  should  be  in  the  elementary  courses  and  we  ought 
not  to  attempt  higher  education  in  such  places  for  some  time 
to  come.  Not  until  the  elementary  course  is  thoroughly  car- 
ried out  in  ,a  right  way. 

The  second  danger  in  Kentucky  is  in  the  development 
in  our  training  schools  in  attempting  to  carry  things  which 
have  little  practical  value,  and  too  much  show.  In  the  revul- 
sion against  the  three  R's  a  few  years  ago  the  course  of 
study  throughout  the  country  lost  much  of  its  "backbone." 
I  do  not  mean  the  course  in  the  hands  of  skilled  teachers. 
But  in  the  hands  of  teachers  who  acquired  the  'fads  and  frills' 
and  nothing  more-  In  sending  young  people  from  our  schools 
with  an  indefinite  idea  of  carrying  out  the  methods  which 
we  tell  them  are  right,  'The  last  state  will  be  worse  than  the 
first.' 

Perhaps  the  strongest  point  in  the  German  School  System 
is  the  High  School  (hoehere  schulen)  which  takes  the  child 
at  the  age  of  nine  or  ten  years  and  keeps  him  for  nine  years. 
In  these  nine  years  the  best  American  authorities  agree  that 
the  child  accomplishes  as  much  as  our  pupils  in  the  American 
Schools  in  twelve  years.  Prof-  J.  Lawrence  Laughlin  of  the 
University  of  Chicago  says :  "The  A.  B.  is  about  the  equiva- 
lent of  the  Abiturium  plus  two  semesters  in  the  German 
University."  In  the  German  schools  the  Albittirinm  is  reached 


41 

at  the  close  of  the  high  school  and  may  be  attained  at  the 
age  of  eighteen.  The  average  age  is  actually  nineteen  and 
one-half,  very  little  older  than  the  average  graduate  of  the 
American  High  School.  Other  Americans  who  have  studied 
the  German  schools  have  reached  similar  conclusions,  and 
I  am  free  to  say  that  I  am  of  a  similar  opinion  after  two  years 
careful  study  and  intimate  association  with  the  pupils  and 
teachers  of  these  schools- 

Then  if  there  are  actually  three  years  in  time  saved  to 
the  pupil  and  to  the  boy,  if  he  is  prepared  three  years  earlier 
to  enter  upon  his  career,  then  this  part  of  the  German  school 
System  deserves  special  mention  in  this  report.  In  the  first 
place  this  extraordinary  achievement  is  largely  due  to  the 
superior  teachers.  Men  of  broad  and  special  scholarship, 
persons  who  have  dedicated  themselves  to  the  work  of  teach- 
ing and  devoted  all  their  energies  to  the  working  out  this  plan. 
As  has  been  pointed  out  this  possibility  is  inherent  in 
the  German  System,  and,  until  we  make  certain  radical 
changes,  we  can  not  accomplish  what  they  do.  But  there  are 
certain  other  things  which  appear  to  me  to  be  responsible 
for  this  remarkable  work.  The  Germans  begin  their  higher 
education  when  the  child  is  nine  instead  of  fourteen.  The 
question  of  the  earlier  commencement  of  the  higher  studies 
has  been  agitated  for  several  years  in  this  country.  Paul  H. 
Hanus,  of  Harvard  has  outlined  in  his  Modern  School  a  six 
years'  course  of  study  for  the  high  school,  beginning  with  the 
seventh  grade,  and  has  discussed  this  question  at  length.  The 
writer  in  an  Article,  "The  Relation  of  the  Grammar  Grades 
to  the  High  School,"  points  out  from  actual  experience  cer- 
tain possibilities  in  this  respect.  It  is  not  my  purpose  here 
to  discuss  this  question  in  detail,  because  space  will  not  allow, 
but  I  wish  to  state  how  the  Germans  do  the  work. 

We  wish  here  to  give  the  courses  of  study  in  the  different 
kinds  of  high  schools  as  an  introduction  to  the  discussion  of 
the  German  High  Schools.  All  courses  in  the  German  High 
Schools  are  preceded  iby  elementary  classes  covering  three 
years  of  work.  In  South  Germany  these  are  taken  in  four 
years  in  the  Volkschule-  In  Prussia,  however,  these  are 
taken  in  private  institutions  under  state  supervision,  or  the 


42 


elementary  classes  are  connected  with  the  high  school  and 
prepare  directly  for  it.  Where  this  is  the  case  the  work  is 
always  completed  in  three  years.  Following  are  the  courses : 

Course  of  Study  in  Gymnasien. 


PRUSSIA 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIIIj  IX  [Total 

Religion             

3 

4 

8 

2 

3 
8 

2 

3 
8 

2 

2 
8 
6 
2 
2 
1 
3 
2 

2 

2 
8 
6 
2 
2 
1 
3 
2 

2 

3 
7 
6 
3 
2 
1 
4 
2 

2 

3 
7 
6 
3 
3 

4 

2 

2 

3 
7 
6 
3 
3 

~4 

2 

2 

3 
7 
6 
3 

3 

~4 
2 

19 

26 
68 
36 
20 
17 
9 
34 
18 
4 
8 

German      and      History 
Stories           _  __ 

Latin  

Greek 

French  

4 

2 
2 
4 
2 

History 

2 
2 
4 
2 
2 
2 

Geography    

2 
4 
2 

2 

Mathematics 

Science  _          

Writing 

Drawing  

2 

2 

2 

— 

— 

— 

Total        

25 

27  ; 

29 

30 

30 

30 

30 

30 

30 

259 

All  pupils  are  required  to  take  three  hours  each  week 
in  the  Gymnasium  and  two  hours  of  singing  under  VI.  A 
student  may  elect  two  hours  of  drawing,  and  from  VII  on  each 
pupil  can  elect  two  hours  of  Hebrew  or  English. 

Course  of  Study  of  the  Heal  Gymnasien. 


|    II  |  III  j  IV  |    V  |  VI  1  VII  |  VII  |VIlI]Total 


Religion 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

19 

German  and  Story  
Latin 

4 
8 

3 

8 

3 

7 

3 
7 

3 

5 

3 

5 

3 
4 

3 
4 

3 
4 

28 

49 

French  _______ 

5 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

29 

Knglish 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

18 

History  

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

"    3 

17 

Geography 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

1 

11 

Mathematics     

4 

4 

4 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

42 

Science 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

4 

5 

5 

5 

29 

WVitinj? 

/^    " 

? 

4 

2 

2  " 

"    2 

2 

2 

2  1 

2 

;  2 

16 

, 

1 

Total      

25 

25 

29 

30 

30 

30 

3, 

i.,, 

31 

262 

There  are  yet  two  other  classes  of  schools  which  in  our 


43 

limited  discussion  we  can  only  mention  here.  They  are  the 
Real  Schule  followed  by  the  Oberrealschule  and  the  Reform- 
Gymnasium.  The  Realschulen  require  no  Latin  or  Greek  but 
more  Science,  Mathematics,  German  and  French.  It  was 
not  until  1901  that  the  students  from  these  schools  were  al- 
lowed to  enter  the  University.  The  Reform  Schools  are  ar- 
ranged so  that  one  may  begin  Latin  or  Greek  later  if  he 
decides  to  elect  them  after  he  has  spent  three  years  in  the 
higher  schools.  It  does  not  delay  the  entrance  to  the  higher 
schools,  but  delays  the  time  when  one  must  decide  definitely 
what  particular  course  he  is  going  to  pursue,  and  so  these 
schools  have  become  quite  popular. 

I  wish  here  to  devote  a  little  space  to  a  discussion  of  the 
teaching  of  language  in  the  German  schools.  We  Americans, 
play  at  language  teaching  while  the  Germans  actually  teach 
the  languages.  Whether  the  pupil  wishes  to  study  Latin, 
Greek  or  some  Modern  Language,  it  is  the  same  thing — the 
language  is  definitely  and  completely  learned.  Many  times  I 
have  seen  pupils  fifteen  years  of  age  reading  Livy  with  as  much 
ease  as  they  do  their  own  language.  This  is  not  a  wonder.  Any 
other  condition  would  be  a  surprise,  when  one  knows  of  the 
work  done  in  the  German  schools.  Here,  however,  is  the 
Modern  Languages  with  which  we  wish  to  deal.  Time  and 
again  I  have  seen  classes  of  eighteen  year  old  boys  reading 
Shakespeare  and  discussing  it  in  English  with  as  much  readi- 
ness as  a  class  in  the  last  year  of  an  American  High  School. 
How  is  such  an  achievement  possible?  Clearly  the  reason  for 
this  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  teacher  of  languages  has  pre- 
pared himself  for  teaching  them.  The  question  of  method, 
while  not  without  deep  significance,  is  of -minor  importance 
to  the  qualifications  of  the  teacher.  Before  I  left  for  Germany 
I  had  a  very  interesting  conversation  with  a  very  bright 
young  lady  teacher  in  one  of  the  leading  high  schools  in  the 
State  of  Kentucky  (at  least  it  should  be  for  it  makes  those 
pretentions).  I  asked  this  young  lady  if  German  was  offered 
in  her  school.  She  replied  that  it  had  been  announced  for 
the  next  year,  and  she  was  to  have  charge  of  the  work-  I 
asked  her  then  where  she  had  studied  her  German  and  she 


44 

again  replied  that  she  had  never  studied  the  language  but 
she  was  going  away  that  summer  and  in  a  six  weeks  course 
prepare  herself  for  the  work.  My  readers  may  feel  that  this 
is  an  exceptional  case  and  I  agree  that  it  is,  but  I  insist  that 
90  per  cent,  of  those  attempting  to  teach  the  Modern  Lan- 
guages in  the  American  schools,  especially  in  the  Kentucky 
schools,  do  not  perform  better  work  than  this  lady  did  in 
first  year  German. 

The  poorly  qualified  language  teachers  in  the  American 
schools  are  practically  universal-  Being  able  to  speajk  and 
write  readily  a  couple  of  the  modern  languages  and  having 
visited  numerous  of  our  schools  and  talked  with  many  teach- 
ers, I  am  prepared  to  say  that  at  least  a  majority  of  the  work 
done  in  Modern  Language  is  a  wanton  waste  of  the  pupils 
time,  and  I  can  understand  why  parents  should  be  disgusted 
with  it.  German  can  not  >be  any  more  successfully  taught 
after  a  year's  study  of  the  language  than  Calculus  can  be 
successfully  taught  after  a  year's  study  of  the  Geometry  in 
the  High  School,  and  the  pupil's  progress  under  the  two 
teachers  would  be  about  similar.  Progressive,  energetic  sup- 
erintendents who  do  not  wish  others  to  surpass  them  in  the 
quality  of  the  schools  in  their  charge,  in  their  enthusiasm, 
introduce  the  Modern  Languages  and  hire  someone  to  teach 
them.  The  superintendent  can  be  no  judge  of  the  qualifica- 
tions of  such  a  -teacher  because  he  does  not  know  the  language 
himself.  The  teacher  takes  an  elementary  Grammar,  some 
fairy  stories  with  vocabulary  "made  to  order"  in  the  back 
of  the  book  and  proceeds  to  give  instructions,  and  a  no  more 
monumental  farce  could  be  imagined.  Pupils  take  up  the 
wonk  because  they  think  it  is  exceptional  to  know  a  few 
German  or  French  words  and  so  it  goes.  When  a  pupil, 
after  two  years  of  study  of  German,  has  to  have  an  "im- 
mensee"  with  vocabulary  in  the  back  and  then  write  out, 
the  meanings  of  the  words  between  the  lines  of  the  text  in 
order  to  make  a  recitation,  I  do  not  need  to  argue  that  the 
teaching  of  German  is  a  collossal  fake.  If  my  reader  thinks 
that  I  am  unjust  let  him  |go  into  any  American  High  School 
and  take  the  books  of  the  second  year  and  examine  for  him- 


45 

.self-  Or,  'better  still,  if  he  knows  some  German  let  him 
take  an  inventory  of  the  pupil's  knowledge  of  the  subject. 
Such  teaching  is  an  incomparable  farce,  and  its  continuance 
is  detrimental  to  the  child,  school,  and  community.  A  long 
suffering  community  allows  it. 

The  purpose  of  offering  a  Modern  Language  is,  I  take 
it  one  of  three : 

1.  For  its  disciplinary  value. 

2.  For  its  cultural  value,  and 

3.  For  its  practical  value. 

As  there  is  very  little  practical  use  for  the  language 
in  general  in  this  country,  we  must  find  its  justification 
in  the  first  or  second  excuse  for  its  being  offered.  As  a 
discipinary  subject  any  other  in  which  the  child  has  an  in- 
terest might  offer  as  good  results.  Any  person  who  wishes 
to  do  advanced  study  of  any  kind,  however,  should  be  able 
to  acquaint  himself  with  the  vast  field  of  German  and  French 
literature,  and  is  certainly  at  a  very  great  disadvantage  if 
he  can  not  directly  do  so.  Then  the  question  that  concerns 
us  is  the  best  method  of  acquiring  the  language  for  this 
purpose.  Whether  we  acquire  the  language  for  discipline 
or  for  culture,  the  question  is  the  same.  How  can  the  pupil 
best  make  the  language  his  own?  There  is  only  one  way 
according  to  my  opinion  and  that  is  to  learn  the  language 
so  that  one  can  read  it  as  readily  as  his  own.  So  one  can 
actually  read  scientific  works  and  appreciate  the  literature 
of  the  language.  Nothing  short  of  this  is  of  value  to  the 
student.  After  seeing  the  different  methods  and  its  results 
for  two  years,  I  am  fully  convinced  that  one  is  right  and  the 
other  is  wrong.  We  shall  attempt  to  give  somewhat  more 
definitely  the  right  way  as  we  have  s'een  it. 

Prof.  Max  Walter,  Direktor  of  the  Musterschule  in  Frank- 
fort, is  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  Reform  of  language 
teaching  in  Germany,  and  it  was  his  work  that  I  observed 
with  such  profit,  and  describe  with  enthusiasm.  He  com- 
mences with  the  spoken  language  and  starts  with  things  in 
the  school  room.  He  takes  especially  the  simple  actions  of 


46 

the  children  and  has  the  pupils  name  them  and  act  them  at 
the  same  time.  After  the  children  become  somewhat  ac- 
quainted with  the  words  representing  the  things  with  which 
they  deal  and  the  simple  action  of  the  children,  also  certain 
songs,  Walter  begins  the  grammar  and  reading,  but  never 
these  first.  This  method  of  teaching  is  by  no  means  devoid 
of  work.  It  requires  the  intensest  work.  The  Grammar  is 
not  neglected,  but  is  not  given  until  the  pupil  "has  some 
ground-work  for  the  study  of  the  language.  The  pupil  be- 
gins the  study  of  French  for  instance  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 
The  first  two  are  devoted  principally  to  memorizing,  learning 
the  regular  conjugation  and  declensions,  and  accustoming  the 
ear  to  the  use  of  the  spoken  language,  etc.  The  following 
is  the  Grammar  for  the  third  year  class  in  French,  and  is 
the  work  required  from  boys  of  eleven  to  twelve  years  of  age^ 

1.  Review  of  the  regular  conjugations. 

and  extension  of  the  sentence  order, 
change  of  the  perfect  participle. 

2.  The  most  important  of  the  irregular  verbs   and 

in  connection  with  them  the  special  words  of 
the  same  stem. 

The  most  important  verbs :  here  follows  a  list  of 
about  seventy-five  verbs  of  the  irregular  con- 
jugation : 

3-  At  the  close  of  the  irregular  vefbs,  the  conguga- 
tion  and  infinitive  are  taught,  together  with 
the  indicative  in  the  indirect,  and  the  question 
of  the  double  accusative. 

There  is  scarcely  more  than  this  amount  presented  in 
the  American  High  School  in  the  same  length  of  time,  yet 
the  Germans  in  these  years  devote  much  of  the  time  to  con- 
versation, composition,  and  reading,  much  more,  indeed,  than 
we.  It  is  beyond  question  that  the  pupil  accomplishes  infinite- 
ly more  by  this  method  and  the  language  becomes  of  some 
service  to  him,  because  he  has  learned  to  appreciate  the 
language  as  used.  This  method,  however,  requires  trained 
teachers  and  we  shall  perhaps  not  have  them  for  some  time. 
Anyway  I  should  suggest  that  less  time  be  devoted  to  the 


47 

languages  unless  the  teacher  is  better  qualified  than  the 
average  American  teacher.  The  belief  that  the  pupil  can  ap- 
preciate the  German  Classics  when  he  has  to  spell  out  the 
words  one  by  one  with  a  dictionary  always  in  hand,  or  worse 
still  with  vocabulary  made  to  order,  at  the  back  of  the  bodk 
is  too  ridiculous  to  require  serious  effort  at  refutation  here. 

The  observer  will  notice  that  the  difference  -between  the 
first  and  second  classes  of  schools  here  is  that  the  former 
requires  Greek  and  the  latter  French,  otherwise,  they  are 
practically  the  same.  Why  is  the  pupil  able  to  accomplish 
so  much  more  with  a  course  of  study  of  this  kind  than  with 
the  course  offered  in  the  American  schools?  This  question 
is  certainly  a  pertinent  one  and  its  answer  will  be  valuable 
for  the  American  teacher,  and,  what  concerns  us,  for  the 
Kentucky  teacher.  There  appear  to  me  to  be  two  reasons 
that  we  have  not  mentioned  why  we  do  not  accomplish  the 
work.  First,  our  courses  contain  a  lot  of  uninteresting  un- 
necessary stuff  in  the  first  eight  years  of  the  child's  school  life- 
Especially  from  the  age  of  nine  to  thirteen  when  the  child 
should  be  acquiring  something  useful  and  creating  habits  of 
study  he  is  wasting  his  time  by  devoting  very  little  to  the 
work  in  hand.  This  is  because  the  material  presented  to  him 
is  uninteresting  and  has  no  vital  relation  to  the  child.  It  is 
a  period  of  divided  attention,  and  practically  lost  as  far  as 
the  child's  advancement  is  concerned.  This  period  which 
should  be  utilized  in  the  child's  advancement  is  practically 
of  no  worth.  The  second  cause  of  the  failure  of  our  course  is 
due  to  the  reorganization  of  the  material  presented  in  the 
past  few  years.  We  have  introduced  an  enormous  number  of 
"fads  and  frills"  which  would  enrich  the  Course  of  Study  and 
improve  it  very  much  in  the  hands  of  skillful  conscientious 
teachers  who  know  how  to  put  it  into  practice.  In  the  hands 
of  unskilled  teachers  and  persons  who  only  partially  under- 
stand it,  the  innovations  have  taken  the  "Backbone"  out  of 
our  Course  of  study  and  "the  last  case  is  worse  than  the 
first." 

Instead  of  making  the  material  easy  at  the  period  from 
nine  to  thirteen  years  we  should  present  "stuff"  which  the 


48 

pupil  would  find  interesting  enough  to  learn.  The  course  in 
Mathematics,  Language,  Geography,  etc.  should  be  completely 
changed  and  intensified.  More  should  be  presented  to  the 
pupils  and  then  the  stronger  ones  should  have  the  opportu- 
nity to  do  additional  work  outside  of  what  the  average  child 
does.  The  American  boy  is  not  less  'bright,  less  capable,  or 
less  industrious,  but  he  accomplishes  vastly  less  because  he 
is  presented  to  the  wrong  material  or  the  wrong  material  is 
presented  to  him. 


Thoroughness. 

There  are  certain  special  points  which  we  wish  to  dis- 
cuss somewhat  more  in  detail  at  the  close  of  this  discussion 
of  the  German  schools.  The  idea  of  thoroughness  pervades 
the  whole  work  of  the  German  schools.  One  has  only  to  enter 
the  school  room,  it  matters  not  what  the  class,  and  he  will  be 
struck  by  thoroughness  of  the  work  of  the  pupils.  The 
lessons  are  logically  thought  out  and  planned.  The  pupil  is 
made  to  feel  that  there  is  something  definite  to  learn  and  he 
leaves  the  class  feeling  that  he  has  actually  acquired 
something.  So  many  of  our  lessons  appear  to  have  been 
taught  because  they  happen  to  be  in  a  text  book,  and  not 
because  they  are  planned  to  mean  something  definite  to  the 
child.  The  teacher  in  Germany  never  uses  a  text,  and  the 
pupils  use  much  fewer  books  than  here.  The  methods  of 
dividing  the  class  into  two  sections  so  as  to  hear  one  recite 
while  the  other  prepares  the  lesson  is  not  known  there.  The 
Class  recites  as  a  whole,  and  the  period  of  recitation  is  fifty 
minutes.  The  pupils  have  fifty  minutes  of  intensive  work, 
then  they  are  excused  for  a  recess  of  ten  minutes  in  which  they 
are  given  vigorous  exercise,  perhaps  physical  training.  Then 
they  go  back  to  their  work  for  another  fifty  minutes.  The 
Germans  themselves  feel  that  the  lack  of  the  use  of  text- 
books in  the  schools-  while  it  procures  thoroughness,  does  not 
create  the  desire  and  taste  for  reading  as  in  the  American 
schools.  They  overestimate  the  value  of  the  text-book  even 
in  this  respect.  The  acquiring  of  the  habit  of  reading  is  most 


49 

often  after  the  child  has  completed  the  work  of  the  grades, 
at  least  the  American  habit  of  newspaper  reading  is  acquired 
after  the  person  becomes  personally  interested  in  public  af- 
fairs, and  is  not  due  to  the  reading  in  the  schools.  The 
characteristic  difference  between  the  German  schools  and  ours 
is  the  thoroughness  of  the  former.  They  eliminate  the  non- 
essentials  and  acquire  the  important  things  so  thoroughly 
that  they  are  always  sure  of  their  knowledge. 


Compulsory  Attendance. 

"There  is  compulsory  attendance  throughout  the  German 
Empire  for  forty-two  weeks  in  the  year  and  for  six  days  in 
the  week.  There  is  nothing  that  excuses  except  sickness. 
In  this  respect  we  are  far  behind.  Even  our  short  term  of 
schools  is  not  attended  and  the  term  for  which  there  is  com- 
pulsory attendance  is  not  enforced.  If  we  will  obliterate  the 
enormous  per  cent,  of  illiteracy,  13%  in  Kentucky,  we  must 
take  some  advance  steps  in  this  respect  and  insist  that  the 
child  of  this  Commonwealth  attend  the  public  school.  This  is 
especially  necessary  because  we  live  in  a  democracy.  There 
should  be  no  half-way  measures  in  this  respect. 


Scholarship  Recognized. 

There  is  a  grievous  fault  of  which  we  Kentuckians  are 
guilty,  that  is  the  lack  of  the  recognition  of  scholarship- 
The  Germans,  the  scholars  of  the  world,  naturally  set  the 
example  in  scholarship  for  all  the  world,  but  our  distinc- 
tions in  Kentucky  in  the  matter  of  qualifications  are  anything 
but  complimentary.  With  single  exceptions  we  have  no  men 
in  our  state  such  as  almost  every  other  State  of  the  Union  has. 
Rather  we  do  not  retain  our  men  who  become  scholars-  Why 
should  not  the  old  State  of  Kentucky  have  Universities  like 
he  Sisters  on  the  South  or  to  the  North?  Why  does  she  or 
why  should  she  stand  so  high  in  the  list  in  the  number  of  men 
that  she  has  produced  but  not  retained?  If  our  educational 
system  takes  the  place  among  the  Systems  of  the  United  States 


50 

that  she  deserves  to  hold  we  must  make  it  possible  for  the 
sons  of  the  soil  to  devote  their  lives  to  the  elevation  of  its 
citizenship.  In  Germany  the  Professors  are  called  upon  to 
serve  the  State  in  its  law-making  bodies,  and  in  its  cabinets 
where  the  laws  are  made.  The  superior  knowledge  of  the 
professor  is  made  use  of  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the 
nation.  The  nation  is  proud  of  its  school  teachers.  If  the 
teachers  of  our  State,  after  years  of  study  are  not  capable 
of  being  the  advisers  of  the  communities  they  serve,  then 
we  ought  to  change  the  profession  and  call  men  and  women 
who  can  do  so.  We  must  make  the  place  respectable  and 
make  it  possible  for  men  who  care  to  maintain  their  self- 
respect  to  enter  and  remain  in  the  profession. 


Special  Teachers. 

There  is  no  teacher  in  Germany  who  attempts  to  teach 
everything  in  the  Curriculum,  even  in  the  primary  grades- 
The  teachers  are  specialists.  The  teachers  study  many  dif- 
ferent subjects  as  has  been  shown  in  the  preparation  of  the 
teacher  but  she  does  not  pretend  to  teach  everything.  In 
the  higher  schools  the  candidate  usually  offers  three  su/b- 
jects  besides  his  mother  language.  In  the  lower  grades  they 
usually  offer  more  subjects  but  no  one  teaches  the  entire 
grade.  This  provides  for  a  thoroughness  which  could  not 
otherwise  be  possible.  At  the  same  time  the  proper  grouping 
and  correlating  of  the  subjects  prevents  narrowness  which 
one  might  expect  from  such  specialization.  For  instance  the 
teachers  of  the  Musterschule  of  Frankfort  teach  groups  some- 
what as  follows :  French  and  German ;  Latin,  Greek  and 
History;  Mathematics  and  Physics,  etc.  The  Germans  do  not 
carry  this  specialization  so  far  as  "we  do  in  our  secondary 
schools,  for  every  one  is  required  to  teach  more  than  one 
subject.  Yet  in  the  Elementary  schools  the  teacher  does  not 
attempt  to  cover  the  whole  field.  There  is  .not  the  great 
'breach  between  Elementary  and  Secondary  Education  that  we 
find  in  our  schools,  and  the  higher  Education  is  continuous 
from  the  9th  year. 


51 
Men  Teachers. 

I  do  not  feel  that  I  should  leave  the  discussion  of  the 
German  schools  without  saying  a  word  of  the  wholesome 
effect  of  the  work  of  the  great  number  of  men  teachers.  Even 
in  the  Elementary  schools  85%  of  the  teachers  are  men  and 
when  we  include  the  High  Schools  the  per  cent  will  be  much 
higher.  This  gives  permanency  to  the  profession  but  it  has 
still  a  greater  advantage  than  that.  G.  Stanly  Hall  and  a  few 
other  pioneers  have  had  much  to  say  about  the  "feminization" 
of  the  American  Schools,  and  have  led  the  way  in  a  crusade 
against  the  excessive  number  of  wo/men  teachers,  and,  when 
one  observes  the  wholesome  eflect  of  the  work  of  the  men  in 
Germany,  he  is  forced  to  a  similar  conclusion.  As  one  who 
went  to  Germany  feeling  that  most  of  the  work  in  the  grades 
should  be  permanently  done  by  women,  I  had  the  occasion 
for  many  surprises  in  observing  the  most  excellent  work  of 
the  men-  While  I  should  not  care  to  see  the  condition  which 
prevails  in  Germany  copied  here  if  it  were  even  possible,  yet 
an  equalization  of  the  forces  would  work  permanent  good  and 
in  my  opinion  must  take  place  before  we  attain  the  profes- 
sional skill  necessary  for  the  highest  development  or  educate 
our  children  for  the  best  citizenship. 


Initiative. 

Much  has  been  said  about  the  initiative  and  enterprise  of 
the  American.  The  German  especially  has  admired  these 
qualities  in  the  American  and  has  sought  to  explain  them- 
As  is  most  natural  for  the  German  he  has  looked  to  the 
American  school  and. has  considered  it  the  source  of  all  these 
good  qualities,  many  of  the  writers  have  at  least  offered  a 
comparison  of  the  work  of  the  two  systems.  I  fail  completely 
to  find  the  causes  of  the  American  initiative  and  enterprise 
in  the  American  school.  There  is  more  self-assertion  and 
there  are  more  student  activities  in  the  American  school  than 
in  the  German,  but  I  find  that  these  are  patterned  more  after 
business  methods  than  after  the  American  school  methods. 


52 

These  things  are  usually  no  part  of  the  Program-  American 
enterprise,  according  to  my  ovservations,  comes  rather  from 
the  character  of  American  life,  American  opportunities,  and 
independence  in  political  action.  I  fail  completely  to  see 
where  the  American  school  aids  in  the  development  of  -the 
spirit  of  enterprise,  I  mean  the  school  as  constituted-  In 
fact  our  American  schools,  and  especially  our  Kentucky 
schools,  have  been  behind  our  industrial  and  agricultural  life 
and  have  in  no  way,  or  only  to  a  limited  extent,  contributed 
to  their  advancement.  In  fact  they  have  served  only  as  a 
place  for  the  education  of  the  five  per  cent  that  would  have 
succeeded  anyway.  They  are  so  arranged  that  each  might 
have  the  possibility  "of  becoming  President"  or  something 
else  of  importance  and  neither  the  weak  or  strong  pupils  ac- 
complish the  most  possible.  Looking  over  the  courses  in 
the  high  schools  of  a  dozen  different  cities  in  Kentucky,  I 
find  that  the  courses  are  arranged  with  the  definite  aim  o£ 
preparing  the  pupils  for  College-  "I  judge  that  other  courses 
are  similar.  Looking  over  the  list  of  those  who  enter  College 
I  find  that  perhaps  Wc/o  of  all  the  graduates  pursue  their 
education  farther  than  the  high  school.  Now  why  shall  we 
spend  all  the  money  we  are  spending  for  the  I0c/o  who  would 
reach  the  College  anyway  and  whose  parents  are  able  to  send 
their  children  to  a  preparatory  school?  It  is  simply  ridiculous. 
We  must  face  a'bout,  or  disgrace  ourselves.  We  must  educate 
the  children  to  do  something.  We  must  make  our  schools 
serve  the  State  and  the  community.  We  must  take  care  of 
the  great  mass  of  citizenship  the  ignorant  and  needy  if  we 
attain  the  highest  development.  We  must  educate  better 
artisans,  better  clerks,  better  brick  layers,  and  better  carpen- 
ters. We  must  teach  people  to  earn  an  honest  living  and 
serve  the  community  as  honest  citizens,  ready  to  offer  their 
property  in  defense  of  the  State;  I  mean  in  enforcing  the 
laws  and  in  choosing  right  lawmakers  and  officers.  Influenc- 
ed by  the  past  we  are  going  about  this  whole  matter  wrong- 
We  have  not  recognized  the  industrial,  and  the  social  changes 
that  have  taken  place,  and  we  do  not  seem  to  be  providing 
for  the  agricultural  change  which  ought  to  take  place.  The 


53 

last  number  of  the  Southern  School  Journal  says :  "There  are 
others  (people)  deprived  in  their  youth  of  the  most  meager 
advantages,  and  so  pressed  by  circumstances  after  maturity 
that  they  have  failed  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
for  such  training,  who  are  ignorant  mainly  of  book  lore,  and 
are  not  in  any  sense  depraved  or  vicious.  The  writer  has  in 
mind  one  of  the  heaviest  tax-payers  in  the  Blue  Grass  coun- 
ties; a  man  who  lived  to  the  age  of  seventy  years  and  never 
knew  how  to  write  his  name.  By  untiring  energy,  good 
judgment,  and  frugality,  he  had  earned  a  competency.  His 
three  sons  and  one  daughter  were  given  advantages  their 
father  never  had.  Kentucky  at  that  time  was  not  paying  $4 
per  capita  for  the  education  of  the  children-  School  houses 
were  built  by  popular  subscription,  and  teachers  were  paid 
largely  in  the  same  manner.  This  man  largely  furnished  the 
material,  and  paid  the  carpenters  for  the  erection  of  a  school 
house  and  afterwards  supplemented  the  salary  in  an  amount 
sufficient  to  get  the  best  talent  available,  that  not  only  his 
own  children,  but  every  other  child  in  the  district  might 
derive  the  benefit  from  such  instruction.  This  man  could 
compute  without  aid,  the  interest  on  a  note;  and,  before  the 
"dude"  buyer  of  his  herd  of  cattle  could  remove  his  kid  gloves 
to  get  his  checkbook  from  his  scented  pocket,  this  illiterate 
forman  would  tell  him  the  amount  due  for  "the  bunch"  bought 
by  the  pound."  This  represents  the  condition  that  we  all 
know  and  have  seen  a  thousand  times.  But  what  about  the 
sons  and  daughter  of  these  men  who  have  attained  so  much 
and  provided  such  a  good  "education"  for  their  children.  They 
go  to  the  school  which  prepares  for  College,  they  are  taught 
every  day  to  despise  the  work  which  their  fathers  have  done, 
for  only  "the  intellectual"  is  enobling  and  they  become  the 
"dudes  with  the  scented  pocket"  because  of  these  superior 
advantages  in  education.  Most  of  the  work  that  is  now  given 
in  the  grades  in  our  country  and  city  schools  is  worthless 
and  the  High  School  is  valuable  only  to  the  very  limited 
minority.  It  is  worthless  because  there  is  not  a  worthy  aim 
toward  which  we  are  striving  in  .education-  The  course  does 
not  prepare  the  pupil  for  the  life  toward  which  he  must  aim 


54 

if  he  have  any  aim  at  all  The  fact  is,  neither  teacher  nor 
pupil  has  any  conscious  aim  toward  which  he  is  striving  and 
on  this  account  the  work  of  the  teacher  and  pupil  must  be 
farcical-  Paul  H.  Hanus  says  on  pages  29  and  30  of  his 
Educational  Aims  and  Educational  Values,  "I  have  elsewhere 
pointed  out  how  rare  it  is  to  find  teachers  whose  work  is 
determined  by  conscious  aims,  and  consequently  how  narrow 
is  the  professional  horizon  of  most  of  them,  I  shall  not  soon 
iorget  the  surprise  with  which  an  intellegent  teacher  said  to 
me,  not  long  ago  'An  aim'  I  have  no  aim  in  teaching.  That 
is  a  new  idea;'"  and  another  New  England  teacher,  one  of 
the  first  in  his  profession,  said,  in  reply  to  my  statement  that 
every  teacher's  purpose  must  determine  the  nature  and  qual- 
ities of  his  work."  I  have  no  purpose  in  teaching  astronomy ; 
I  don't  know  why  I  teach  it."  These  teachers  did  not  of 
course,  represent  themselves  quite  fairly.  But  they  did  mean 
that  beyond  the  immediate  object  of  inducing  their  pupils 
to  learn  their  daily  lessons  in  Algebra,  and  Latin,  and  As- 
tjronomy,  they  had  no  conscious  purpose  by  which  their 
whole  activity  as  teachers  were  determined;  and  specifically 
that  the  choice  of  these  subjects  as  fit  subjects  matter  of  in- 
struction was  no  concern  of  theirs;  they  taught  the  subjects 
as  best  they  could,  because  these  subjects  were  in  the  course 
of  study  which  was  like  other  courses  of  study,  or  because 
those  subjects  were  required  for  admission  to  college."  If 
the  writer  had  had  the  conscious  aim  of  discussing  the  courses 
of  study  in  the  Kentucky  schools  he  could  not  have  done  it 
more  accurately.  The  writer  says  in  his  discussion  "The 
Relation  of  the  Grammear  grades  to  the  High  School."  Only 
a  few  days  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  a  principal  of  a  high 
school,  asking  me  to  submit  to  him  an  up-to-date  high  school 
course  for  his  school.  There  was  no  intimation  of  the  course 
of  the  grades  in  his  city,  indeed,  no  intimation  of  any  local 
condition.  From  the  tone  of  the  letter  the  principal  clearly 
implied  that  he  believed  a  course  in  one  place  could  be  operated 
successfully  in  any  other  school,  and  he  wanted  a  sample 
of  the  best."  The  only  way  to  remedy  this  great  failure  in  our 
educational  system  in  Kentucky  is  to  make  the  Grades  in  the 


55 

country  serve  the  large  per  cent  of  boys  and  girls  who  will 
and  ought  to  remain  on  the  farm,  and  will  constitute  the 
rural  population  of  the  future-  We  must  train  them  to  be 
more  efficient  farmers  and  citizens  of  the  communities  in  which 
they  are  to  live.  The  new  county  High  Schools  must  not 
be  preparatory  schools  for  the  Colleges,  but  continuation 
schools  for  the  grades,  and  serve  to  fit  the  boys  for  still  better 
farmers,  and  the  girls  for  the  wives  of  the  farmers-  They 
should  be  taught  how  to  raise  cattle,  hogs,  and  sheep,  and 
to  farm  the  land  most  advantageously.  Kentucky  will  never 
develop  her  immense  potential  wealth  by  training  the  few 
and  providing  for  the  few  to  rise  out  of  their  present  condition, 
and  perhaps  seek  homes  and  work  in  other  States.  Kentucky 
must  educate  those  who  are  to  remain  here  and  constitute 
the  backbone  of  our  future  civilization  and  History.  This 
can  be  done  only  by  systematic  work  and  the  immediate 
organization  of  our  country  schools  to  serve  the  needs  of  the 
rural  population  of  the  State.  All  the  hodge-podge  "hot-air" 
theories  in  regard  to  the  establishment  of  College  preparatory 
schools  in  the  country  will  never  elevate  the  State  educa- 
tionally to  the  place  it  should  hold- 

The  Grades  of  the  cities  in  Kentucky,  while  much  better 
than  those  in  the  country,  still  need  modification  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  city.  The  High  Schools  which  are  now  College 
preparatory  schools  should  likewise  be  continuation  schools 
which  prepare  for  life  and  answer  ithe  requirements  of  a 
right  educational  aim.  There  should  certainly  be  provisions  for 
those  who  wish  to  attend  the  Universities,  but  the  whole 
school  should  not  be  for  that  purpose.  Summing  up  the  whole 
matter  we  would  say  that  the  great  need  now  is  to  cease 
trying  to  get  people  out  of  the  profession  or  calling  they  or 
their  parents  now  hold  and  to  educate  them  to  fill  these 
positions  in  the  future  with  honor  to  themselves  and  the 
community.  Educate  people  to  the  realization  that  it  is  not 
the  work  but  the  man  that  counts,  and  that  any  work  is 
honorable  as  a  life's  work  if  the  person  is  honorable  who 
performs  it.  This  ideal  can  only  be  realized  by  making  the 
schools  really  people's  schools,  schools  for  the  masses  and 


56 

not  for  the  chosen  few,  as  every  thoughtful  man  must  now 
admit  that  they  are.  Are  we  going  to  find  young  men  who 
will  rise  up  to  lead  in  this  educational  renaissance?  The  work 
means  a  life  of  sacrifice,  a  life  of  service,  but  what  young 
Kentuckian  would  not  like  to  serve  the  grand  old  State  of 
his  birth? 

We  are  going  to  meet  opposition  in  our  efforts  for  several 
reasons.  The  people  are  accustomed  to  think  the  only  way 
is,  just  as  the  teachers  are  accustomed  to  instruct  in  the  old 
days.  We  are  now  fighting  for  popular  education  which  is 
in  no  sense  popular  education.  It  is  education  for  the 
chosen  few  but  its  disciples  will  fight  for  it  till  they  die. 
The  young  people  who  may  catch  the  new  spirit  and  wish 
for  a  true  education  of  value  to  the  whole  people;  those 
who  may  be  willing  to  give  their  lives  for  a  greater  Ken- 
tucky will  meet  bitter  opposition,  but  the  reward  of  a  live 
so  spent  will  be  sweet  because  iit  is  a  true  reward  and  it 
will  surely  come-  Any  one  who  can  discern  the  signs  of  the 
times  must  recognize  what  the  future  is  to  be,  and  if  Kentucky 
is  to  raise  her  place  in  the  educational  world,  the  movement 
must  be  along  the  lines  we  suggest  and  I  believe  that  there 
will  soon  be  plenty  who  will  join  us  in  working  for  this 
movement. 


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